The Offshore Chemicals and Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

Amendment to the Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002

3.  After regulation 7, insert—

“Coronavirus: temporary modifications

7A.— (1) This regulation applies—

(a) where the effects of coronavirus, including any restrictions on movement, mean that it is not reasonably practicable for the public to inspect copies of documents at a specified address within the United Kingdom; and

(b) the date is not later than the end of the period of 12 months beginning with the day on which this regulation comes into force.

(2) Where paragraph (1) applies, regulation 7 has effect as if—

(a) in paragraph (1)—

(i) for sub-paragraph (a), there were substituted—

“(a) for a period of not less than four weeks immediately following the publication (or last publication, where it is published in more than one newspaper or on more than one occasion) of the notice referred to in sub-paragraph (d), publish a copy of the permit application on a website accessible to the public where the public can view and download information placed upon it;”;

(ii) in sub-paragraph (d)—

(aa) for sub-paragraph (ii), there were substituted—

“(ii) gives the website address referred to in sub-paragraph (a) where the permit application can be viewed;”; and

(bb) for sub-paragraph (iii), there were substituted—

“(iii) states that a copy of the permit application may be obtained free of charge from the address referred to in sub-paragraph (b) by post or electronically; and”; and

(iii) in paragraph (e), after “appeared”, there were inserted “and the address of the website referred to in sub-paragraph (a);

(b) paragraph (3)(b) were omitted; and

(c) paragraphs (1)(b), (1)(c) and (3) did not require the permit applicant to make copies of the permit application available for collection in person.

(3) In this regulation, “coronavirus” means severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).”.