3.—(1) In relation to a relevant fossil fuel plant, the chief inspector is the enforcing authority by whom functions under these Regulations for or in connection with monitoring or enforcing the compliance of operators with the emissions limit duty are to be exercisable for the purposes of paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 5 to the Act.
4.—(1) If any of the conditions in paragraph (3) are met in relation to a relevant fossil fuel plant, the operator of the plant must submit a notification (“an emissions limit notification”) to the chief inspector within 31 days of the date on which the condition is met or, if more than one condition is met, within 31 days of the date on which the earliest condition is met.
(2) An emissions limit notification must state—
(a)the emissions limit (in tonnes of carbon dioxide) for the relevant fossil fuel plant, calculated in accordance with section 57(1) of the Act and as modified, if applicable, by regulation 4 of the EPS Regulations;
(b)the installed generating capacity of the relevant fossil fuel plant; and
(c)the date on which the relevant fossil fuel plant commenced or is expected to commence generation.
(3) The conditions are—
(a)that a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Permit in relation to the relevant fossil fuel plant—
(i)is held by the operator on the date these Regulations come into operation;
(ii)is granted to the operator after the date these Regulations come into operation; or
(iii)is varied in relation to the amount of installed generating capacity covered by that permit after the date these Regulations come into operation; or
(b)the emissions limit for the relevant fossil fuel plant is modified by regulation 4 of the EPS Regulations.
(4) An emissions limit notification must be submitted in such form and manner as the chief inspector may reasonably require.
5.—(1) For the purposes of section 58 of the Act, the chief inspector must not consider a complete CCS system to be ready for use unless he has first received from the operator a notification (“a CCS notification”) in respect of the system.
(2) A CCS notification must state—
(a)each generating unit within the relevant fossil fuel plant to which the complete CCS system relates;
(b)the installed generating capacity of all the generating units specified under sub-paragraph (a); and
(c)the date on which the operator wishes the complete CCS system is to be considered ready for use.
(3) A CCS notification must be submitted in such form and manner as the chief inspector may reasonably require.
6.—(1) If the condition in paragraph (2) is satisfied in relation to a relevant fossil fuel plant, the operator of the plant must submit, annually, a notification (“an EPS annual emissions notification”) to the chief inspector in accordance with paragraph (4).
(2) The condition is that the total of—
(a)the total annual emissions of carbon dioxide for the relevant fossil fuel plant reported in a verified Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report (“ the Report”); and
(b)if applicable and where not otherwise included in the total under sub-paragraph (a), the total annual emissions of carbon dioxide directly attributable to the production of fuel produced from fossil fuel in any associated gasification plant used by the relevant fossil fuel plant for the same period as the Report,
is greater than the emissions limit for the plant for the year covered by the Report.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2)—
(a)only emissions of carbon dioxide which relate to generating units reported in the Report are to be included; and
(b)“emissions limit” means the emissions limit for the relevant fossil fuel plant calculated in accordance with section 57(1) of the Act and as modified, if applicable, by regulation 4 of the EPS Regulations.
(4) An EPS annual emissions notification must—
(a)state the EPS annual emissions for the relevant fossil fuel plant for the same period as the Report referred to in paragraph (2) and, for this purpose, the EPS annual emissions are to be calculated or measured in accordance with the methodology of the Monitoring and Reporting Regulation;
(b)identify source streams for each generating unit at the relevant fossil fuel plant to which the emissions limit duty applies;
(c)be submitted to the chief inspector within 10 days of the submission of the verified Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report referred to in paragraph (2); and
(d)be submitted in such form and manner as the chief inspector may reasonably require.
7.—(1) The Department may make, and from time to time revise, a scheme for the charging by the chief inspector of fees or other charges for the carrying out of functions conferred on him by these Regulations (“an EPS charging scheme”).
(2) An EPS charging scheme may, in particular—
(a)make different provision for different cases, including different provision in relation to different persons in different circumstances or localities;
(b)provide for the times at which and the manner in which the payments required by the scheme are to be made; and
(c)make such incidental, supplementary and transitional provisions as appear to the Department to be appropriate.
(3) The chief inspector may charge for the carrying out of functions conferred on him by these Regulations only as provided by an EPS charging scheme.
(4) An operator must pay a charge imposed under an EPS charging scheme on the operator and where there is a failure to do so—
(a)the notification to which the charge relates is to be treated as not having been made; and
(b)the amount of the charge an operator fails to pay may be recovered from the operator by the chief inspector as a civil debt.
(5) An EPS charging scheme must be made publically available by the Department 28 days before it has effect.
8.—(1) For any of the purposes mentioned in paragraph (2), the chief inspector may, by notice (“an information notice”) served on an operator or the operator of an associated gasification plant, require that person to furnish to the chief inspector such information as is stated in the notice, in such form and within such period following service of the notice or at such time as is so stated.
(2) The purposes are—
(a)investigating whether or not the operator has breached the emissions limit duty;
(b)investigating whether or not an operator has failed to comply with either or both of the duties in regulations 4 and 6;
(c)investigating whether a complete CCS system is ready for use; and
(d)investigating any of the following in relation to an associated gasification plant, for the purposes of calculating the emissions of a relevant fossil fuel plant—
(i)the carbon dioxide emissions of the associated gasification plant; and
(ii)the amount of fuel produced by the associated gasification plant and used by a relevant fossil fuel plant.
9.—(1) Where the chief inspector is of the view that an operator has breached the emissions limit duty, the chief inspector may serve a notice (“an enforcement notice”) on that operator.
(2) An enforcement notice may only be served in respect of a breach of the emissions limit duty in relation to—
(a)the year in which the notice is served; or
(b)the preceding year.
(3) An enforcement notice must state—
(a)the chief inspector’s view concerning the breach;
(b)the remedial action which the operator must take in respect of the breach; and
(c)the time by which the remedial action must be taken.
(4) The time stated under paragraph (3)(c) must not be earlier than 21 days after the date of service of the enforcement notice.
(5) Subject to paragraph (6) and regulation 12, where an enforcement notice has been served on an operator, the operator must comply with the requirements of the enforcement notice.
(6) The chief inspector may vary or withdraw an enforcement notice at any time by further notice served on the operator.
10.—(1) Subject to paragraph (7), where the chief inspector is of the view that an operator has breached the emissions limit duty, the chief inspector may serve a notice (“a civil penalty notice”) on that operator which states the financial penalty which is payable to the chief inspector in respect of that breach.
(2) A civil penalty notice must state—
(a)how the amount of the financial penalty imposed was calculated; and
(b)the date by which the amount payable under the civil penalty notice is to be paid in full.
(3) The financial penalty is to be set at a level that the chief inspector considers will, if possible—
(a)remove any benefit derived by the operator from the breach of the emissions limit duty;
(b)be fair; and
(c)be proportionate.
(4) The financial penalty may include an amount in respect of the costs reasonably incurred by the chief inspector in investigating and assessing the breach of the emissions limit duty.
(5) An operator must pay the amount payable under a civil penalty notice and if it is not paid in full by the date stated in the civil penalty notice, the amount payable may be recovered from the operator by the chief inspector as a civil debt.
(6) The chief inspector may vary or withdraw a civil penalty notice before it has been paid by further notice served on the operator.
(7) The chief inspector may not impose a financial penalty in respect of a breach of the emissions limit duty in any year which began more than 5 years before the year in which the notice imposing the penalty is served.
(8) The Department may issue guidance (“EPS penalty guidance”) on the calculation of financial penalties.
(9) Where EPS penalty guidance is issued, the chief inspector must have regard to that guidance when calculating the amount of a financial penalty to be imposed.
(10) Before issuing guidance, the Department must consult—
(a)the national authorities in England, Scotland and Wales; and
(b)such other persons or bodies as the Department considers appropriate.
(11) Where EPS penalty guidance is issued, it must be made publically available by the Department 28 days before it has effect.
(12) The chief inspector may state the manner and form in which any amount required to be paid by a civil penalty notice must be paid.
(13) Any sum received by the chief inspector must be paid into the consolidated fund.
11. Where the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment makes a direction under section 59(2) of the Act, the chief inspector must—
(a)treat the emissions limit duty as suspended or modified as required by the direction; and
(b)comply with any requirement imposed on it by the direction in relation to his functions under these Regulations.
12.—(1) An operator may appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission (“the appeals commission”) against—
(a)an enforcement notice;
(b)a civil penalty notice.
(2) The grounds on which an enforcement or civil penalty notice may be appealed are that it was—
(a)based on an error of fact;
(b)wrong in law;
(c)unreasonable.
(3) Where an operator appeals, any enforcement notice or civil penalty notice subject to that appeal is suspended until the appeal is determined by the appeals commission.
(4) The appeals commission may affirm, quash or vary the terms of the enforcement notice or civil penalty notice.
(5) The Schedule has effect in relation to the making and determination of an appeal to the appeals commission.
13.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the chief inspector may publish any information specified in paragraph (2) in relation to an enforcement notice or civil penalty notice on or after the later of—
(a)the day following expiry of the period for making an appeal against the imposition of the notice, if no appeal is made; or
(b)the determination or withdrawal of the appeal, if an appeal is made.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the information that may be published is—
(a)the identity of the operator subject to the enforcement notice or civil penalty notice;
(b)in the case of an enforcement notice, remedial action required to be taken to remedy the breach of the emissions limit duty;
(c)in the case of a civil penalty notice, the amount payable under the civil penalty notice; and
(d)if the notice has been the subject of an appeal under regulation 12, the result of that appeal.
(3) The chief inspector must not publish the information stated in relation to an enforcement notice or civil penalty notice if—
(a)the operator is found on appeal not to have breached the emissions limit duty; or
(b)the enforcement notice or civil penalty notice has been withdrawn.
14.—(1) If an operator fails to comply with a relevant obligation, the High Court may, on an application by the chief inspector, make an order requiring the operator to comply with the relevant obligation.
(2) The chief inspector may not apply to the High Court under paragraph (1) if—
(a)the time for an appeal relating to the relevant obligation has not elapsed; or
(b)any appeal relating to a relevant obligation has not been determined.
(3) A “relevant obligation” means any obligation included in—
(a)an information notice;
(b)an enforcement notice; or
(c)a civil penalty notice.
15. After regulation 46(1)(a)(iv) of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2012 insert—
“(v)necessary for the performance of the chief inspector’s functions in Northern Ireland under the Emissions Performance Standard Monitoring and Enforcement Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016; or”.