Environmental Better Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

Interpretation

6.  In this Part—

“activities” means activities of any nature, whether industrial, commercial or otherwise and whether carried on in particular premises or otherwise and includes (with or without other activities) the production, treatment, keeping, transportation, depositing or disposal of any substance;

“archaeological object” has the same meaning as in the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

“energy efficiency” means the ratio of output of performance, service, goods or energy, to input of energy;

“environmental activities” means—

(a)

activities that are capable of causing, or liable to cause, environmental harm; or

(b)

activities connected with such activities;

“environmental harm” means—

(a)

harm to the health of human beings or other living organisms;

(b)

harm to the quality of the environment, including—

(i)

harm to the quality of the environment taken as a whole;

(ii)

harm to the quality of air, water or land; and

(iii)

other impairment of, or interference with, ecosystems, biodiversity, geodiversity, habitats, species, historic monuments, archaeological objects or protected landscapes;

(c)

offence to the senses of human beings;

(d)

damage to property; or

(e)

impairment of, or interference with, amenities or other legitimate uses of the environment;

“historic monuments” has the same meaning as in the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

“protecting and improving the environment” includes—

(a)

preventing deterioration (or further deterioration) of, and protecting and enhancing, the status of ecosystems, biodiversity, geodiversity, habitats, species, historic monuments, archaeological objects or protected landscapes;

(b)

promoting the sustainable use of natural resources based on the long-term protection of available natural resources; and

(c)

promoting and enhancing the energy efficiency of regulated activities;

“regulated activities” means any environmental activities in respect of which provision may be made by regulations under section 2;

“regulator” means any person by whom functions conferred by the regulations for, or in connection with, regulating regulated activities are, or are to be, exercisable.