The Air Quality Standards (Wales) Regulations 2010

PART 6 E+W Public information

Public information E+W

23.—(1) The Welsh Ministers must make the following available to the public and appropriate interested organisations—

(a) a map identifying the zones established under regulation 4;

(b) up-to-date information given on at least a daily basis, and if possible on an hourly basis on levels of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, PM₁₀, ozone, carbon monoxide and, if possible, PM_2·5;

(c) up-to-date information on levels of benzene and lead, presented as an average over the last twelve months, and updated every three months or if possible every month;

(d) up-to-date information as to any postponement of the date by which limit values for nitrogen dioxide are to be achieved pursuant to paragraph (2) of regulation 15;

(e) up-to-date information about cases where the limit values, target values or long-term objectives for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, benzene, lead, PM₁₀, PM_2·5, carbon monoxide and ozone set out in Schedules 1 to 3 have been exceeded, together with the reasons for such cases and appropriate information regarding effects on health and the environment;

(f) up-to-date information about actual or predicted exceedances of the alert or information thresholds for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone set out in Schedule 4, together with the reasons for such cases and appropriate information regarding effects on health;

(g) up-to-date information about cases where the critical values for oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide set out in Schedule 5 have been exceeded, together with the reasons for such cases and appropriate information regarding effects on the environment;

(h) up-to-date information on concentrations and total deposition rates of arsenic, cadmium, nickel, mercury, benzo(a)pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons;

(i) up-to-date information about cases where target values for arsenic, cadmium, nickel and benzo(a)pyrene have been exceeded, together with reasons for such cases, the area concerned, and appropriate information regarding effects on health and the environment;

(j) information on measures taken to achieve target values for arsenic, cadmium, nickel and benzo(a)pyrene;

(k) air quality plans; and

(l) short-term action plans, together with the results of the Welsh Ministers' investigations into the feasibility and content of those plans and information on their implementation.

(2) The information in paragraph (1)(f) must be made available in accordance with Schedule 7.

(3) Information must be distributed free of charge in a clear and comprehensible manner via any easily accessible media including the internet or other appropriate means of telecommunication and take into account the requirements of Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing an infrastructure for spatial information in the European Community M1 [F1 in so far as it has been transposed into the law that applies in Wales].

(4) For the purposes of this Part, “interested organisations” includes, in particular, environmental organisations, consumer organisations, organisations representing sensitive populations, relevant healthcare bodies and industrial federations.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 23(3) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Air Quality Standards (Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/390), regs. 1(1), 2(8); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

Marginal Citations

M1 OJ No L 108, 25.4.07, p. 1.

Annual reports E+W

24.—(1) The Welsh Ministers must publish annual reports for all the pollutants.

(2) Annual reports must contain the following information—

(a) details of all cases where levels of pollutants have exceeded limit values, target values, long-term objectives and information and alert thresholds set out in Schedules 1 to 4 for the relevant averaging periods; and

(b) a summary assessment of the effects of these cases.

(3) Annual reports may contain further information where appropriate, including assessments on forest protection and information as to ozone precursor substances listed in Section B of Annex X to Directive 2008/50/EC as the Welsh Ministers think appropriate.