Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence and compliance assessments the Environment Agency relied upon when permitting the continued operation of the Stanlow refinery, including in relation to BAT 52 obligations.

The Environment Agency (EA) assessed the Stanlow refinery BAT 52 derogation against known pollutants such as non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) benzene. The EA confirmed there would be no increase in emission concentrations from the White Oil Docks vent or other site activities as a result of the derogation. [assets.pub...ice.gov.uk]

The operator’s impact assessment followed the EA’s established methodology in ‘Air emissions risk assessment for your environmental permit’, which evaluates potential effects on sensitive human health receptors. The operator submitted dispersion modelling in accordance with this guidance, and the modelling and assessment report is available on the EA Public Register. [consult.en...ncy.gov.uk] The EA concluded that long‑ and short‑term impacts from these known pollutants under BAT 52 are not significant.