Citation, commencement and extent
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000 and shall come into force on the seventh day after the day on which they are made.
(2) These Regulations shall extend to Scotland only.
Interpretation
2.—(1) In these Regulations–
“the 1995 Act” means the Environment Act 1995;
“level” means the measured ambient concentration of a pollutant in the air, expressed as milligrams or micrograms per cubic metre.
(2) The provisions of the Schedule to these Regulations which follow the Table in that Schedule shall have effect for the purpose of the interpretation of that Schedule.
Relevant periods
3. The relevant period for the purposes of Part IV of the 1995 Act shall be, in relation to an air quality objective, the period beginning with the date on which these Regulations come into force and ending, in respect of the substance specified in column 1 of the Table in the Schedule to these Regulations and the objective relating to that substance specified in column 2 of that Table, on the date set out in the corresponding entry relative to that substance and that objective in column 3 of that Table.
Air quality objectives
4.—(1) The air quality objective, in respect of a substance specified in column 1 of the Table in the Schedule to these Regulations shall be to restrict the level at which that substance is present in the air to the level set out in the corresponding entry relative to that substance in column 2 of that Table, by no later than the date set out in the corresponding entry relative to that substance and that objective in column 3 of that Table.
(2) The achievement or likely achievement of an air quality objective prescribed by paragraph (1) above shall be determined by reference to the quality of air at locations–
(a)which are situated outside of buildings or other natural or man-made structures; and
(b)where members of the public are regularly present.
Revocation
5. The Air Quality Regulations 1997(1) are revoked, in so far as they extend to Scotland.
SARAH BOYACK
A member of the Scottish Executive
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
31st March 2000