Environmental regulation: Industry and the marine environment

Control of industrial pollution remains high on the UK political agenda. The implementation of industrial pollution policy is, in practice, deferred to individual Integrated Pollution Control inspectors who make their decisions taking into account such factors as environment, technology and economics. Structured interviews with regulators and industrial operators reveal similarities between their respective attitudes. Scientific, technical and economic information is used in the negotiation which forms a key part of the regulation process and in some areas an imbalance between the regulators and the operators has been found. The established system of Environmental Quality Standards and authorised release limits is viewed by the regulators and operators as effectively safeguarding the environment and making it manageable. It is, however, criticised by environmental groups for being bureaucratic, poorly enforced and for not taking into account the possible biological effects of a growing number of industrial chemicals. Attitudes towards compliance with environmental regulations suggest that industrial operators and regulators view limits as being flexible. There is a general consensus that more environmental monitoring is required. Despite the organisational changes that have taken place in the regulatory bodies, there is a perceived lack of functional integration. This paper calls for a reappraisal of the current system which is unlikely to be able to manage the growing number of chemicals found to cause biological effects. A fresh approach and new skills are required by the regulators if the ambitious targets, agreed at the 1998 Ministerial Meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commission, are to be achieved.