The Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Power of the enforcing authority to prevent or remedy pollution

26.—(1) If the enforcing authority is of the opinion, as respects the operation of an installation or mobile plant authorised under these Regulations, that the operation of the installation or mobile plant, or the operation of it in a particular manner, involves an imminent risk of serious pollution, the enforcing authority may arrange for steps to be taken to remove that risk.

(2) Where the commission of an offence under regulation 33(1)(a), (b) or (d) causes any pollution the enforcing authority may arrange for steps to be taken towards remedying the effects of the pollution.

(3) An enforcing authority which intends to arrange for steps to be taken under paragraph (2) shall, at least seven days before the steps are taken, notify the operator in writing of the steps that are to be taken.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), where an enforcing authority arranges for steps to be taken under this regulation it may recover the cost of taking those steps from the operator concerned.

(5) No costs shall be recoverable under paragraph (4) where the enforcing authority arranges for steps to be taken under paragraph (1) if the operator shows that there was no imminent risk of serious pollution requiring any such steps to be taken and no other costs shall be recoverable which the operator shows to have been unnecessarily incurred by the enforcing authority.