Air Quality Review and Assessment

Good air quality is essential for human health and the well being of the environment as a whole. The Government, in addressing its commitment to sustainable development published the National Air Quality Strategy in 1997. This set out its ambient air quality policy for the UK for eight priority pollutants, with the aim of delivering significant improvements in the medium term. It also proposed new air quality standards and objectives for the eight pollutants.

Powers have been conferred on local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales via the Environment Act 1995 to regularly review their local air quality. The process involves a 3-stage phased approach. Enabling legislation similar to the provisions of the Environment Act 1995 has not been enacted in Northern Ireland. Nevertheless the Environment and Heritage service of the Department proposed a voluntary target date for the completion of first stage review and assessments.
Derry City Council has undertaken the first stage review in line with the commitment it gave to the Environment and Heritage Service.

The first stage review has focused on the collation and the assessment of information on local air quality in accordance with Government Guidance. Information was obtained from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), background pollutant concentration maps, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, DOE Roads Service, DHSS (NI census), air quality monitoring results and research studies. In addition use was made of emissions information from industrial processes prescribed for control under the Industrial Pollution Control (NI) Order 1997.

The review and assessment has identified that the air quality objectives are at risk of being exceeded in the Derry City Council area for three of the strategy pollutants namely nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter (PM10). Government guidance indicates that, where the risk of exceeding the strategy objections has been identified, then District Councils should proceed to a stage 2/3 review and assessment.

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