The Order is one of the central pieces of environmental legislation in Northern Ireland. Its main purpose is to:

• Provide a statutory framework for pollution prevention and control, including control of activities capable of causing environmental pollution.
• Implement integrated pollution prevention and control requirements for industrial installations.
• Establish arrangements for air‑quality management, including local authority duties to review air quality, declare Air Quality Management Areas and prepare improvement plans.
• Strengthen protection and management of Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) through enhanced duties for landowners, occupiers and public bodies.
• Update and regulate waste‑management licensing, including transitional arrangements for older disposal licences.
• Establish enforcement powers, offences and responsibilities for environmental authorities.

Overall, the Order aims to protect and improve Northern Ireland’s environment through regulation, enforcement, monitoring and conservation measures.

Key requirements

1. Pollution prevention and control

Operators of certain industrial and polluting activities must:

• Hold the appropriate environmental permits.
• Prevent or minimise emissions to air, land and water.
• Comply with conditions imposed by the environmental regulator.
• Use best available techniques where required.

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2. Waste‑management regulation

The Order sets duties for:

• Licensing and regulation of waste‑handling sites.
• Conditions relating to treatment, storage and disposal of waste.
• Transitional provisions for older disposal licences.

Operators must comply with licence conditions and environmental‑protection standards.

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3. Air‑quality duties

District councils must:

• Regularly review air quality in their areas.
• Identify locations where air‑quality objectives are not being met.
• Declare Air Quality Management Areas where necessary.
• Prepare and implement action plans to improve air quality.

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4. Protection of Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs)

Landowners and occupiers of ASSIs and must:

• Avoid damaging operations unless consent has been obtained.
• Comply with management notices requiring specific conservation actions.

Public bodies must consider the impact of their decisions on ASSIs and avoid authorising harmful activities.

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5. Enforcement and powers

Authorities have powers to:

• Investigate environmental harm.
• Issue enforcement notices and stop notices.
• Prosecute individuals and organisations.
• Enter premises for inspection and information‑gathering.
• Require records, monitoring data and compliance evidence.

Who the legislation applies to

The Order applies to any individual or organisation in Northern Ireland whose activities can affect the environment, including:

• Industrial operators
• Waste‑management companies
• Agricultural businesses
• Construction and development companies
• Local authorities (especially for air quality)
• Landowners and occupiers of ASSIs
• Public bodies making decisions affecting the environment

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The Northern Ireland Environment Agency is responsible for enforcing many of these duties.

UK countries and regions where it applies

The Order applies only in Northern Ireland.
It does not apply in:

• England
• Scotland
• Wales

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Those parts of the UK operate under separate environmental legislation.

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To demonstrate compliance with the Order, organisations and individuals must hold evidence showing that their activities do not cause environmental harm and that they meet the duties set out across pollution control, waste management, air quality and the protection of Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs).

The following categories summarise the types of evidence typically required.

1. Pollution prevention and control (PPC) evidence

Organisations carrying out regulated or potentially polluting activities must retain:

• Environmental permits and all conditions attached to them.
• Applications, renewal records and correspondence with the regulator.
• Monitoring data for emissions to air, land and water, including sampling results, logs and calibration checks.
• Records demonstrating use of best available techniques where required.
• Incident records showing how spills, releases or breaches were handled and reported.
• Maintenance logs for pollution‑control equipment.

2. Waste‑management evidence

Where waste is produced, stored, transported, treated or disposed of, evidence must include:

• Waste‑management licences or exemptions.
• Waste transfer notes and consignment notes for hazardous waste.
• Records showing quantities, types and destinations of waste.
• Site‑management plans covering storage, segregation and environmental controls.
• Documentation demonstrating compliance with licence conditions.
• Records of inspections, audits and corrective actions.

3. Air‑quality compliance evidence

District councils and regulated operators must maintain:

• Results of air‑quality monitoring, modelling and assessments.
• Records used in the review and assessment duties required of district councils.
• Evidence supporting designation or revocation of Air Quality Management Areas.
• Action plans, progress reports and consultation records.
• Evidence showing implementation of required improvement measures.

4. ASSI (Areas of Special Scientific Interest) evidence

Landowners, occupiers and public bodies affecting ASSI land must retain:

• Notifications received about ASSI designations and boundaries.
• Requests for consent for operations that may damage the site.
• Consents issued and conditions attached.
• Records of management plans or agreed conservation actions.
• Copies of management notices and evidence of compliance.
• Site‑condition monitoring records where relevant.

5. Environmental incident reporting evidence

All relevant organisations must keep:

• Evidence of incident reporting to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, including descriptions, causes and mitigation actions.
• Investigation reports, root‑cause analyses and follow‑up measures.
• Communications with regulators concerning incidents or compliance breaches.

6. Enforcement and regulatory‑interaction evidence

Where enforcement action occurs, organisations must retain:

• Enforcement notices and directions.
• Correspondence with the regulator.
• Evidence of corrective and preventative actions taken.
• Records of appeals or representations made against regulatory decisions.

7. Corporate governance and management‑system evidence

Organisations should maintain:

• Environmental policies, risk assessments and operational procedures.
• Records demonstrating staff competence and training.
• Internal     audit reports, management‑review records and compliance checks.
• Contractor     and supply‑chain environmental assurances.

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