Authorisations generally
17.—(1) When the Department receives an application for an authorisation that might lead to the discharge of a pollutant, it must ensure that all necessary investigations have been carried out to ensure that it grants any authorisation in accordance with regulation 14 or 15.
(2) If it grants an authorisation, it must include conditions requiring all necessary technical precautions to be observed to ensure the objectives of regulations 14 and 15 are achieved.
(3) An authorisation may not be granted without examination of—
(a)the hydrogeological conditions of the area concerned;
(b)the possible purifying powers of the soil and subsoil; and
(c)the risk of pollution and alteration of the quality of the groundwater from the discharge,
and without establishing whether the input of pollutants into groundwater is a satisfactory option in the best interests of the environment.
(4) An authorisation may only be granted if the Department has checked that the groundwater (and, in particular, its quality) will undergo the requisite investigations under (1).