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Biomass and Air Quality Guidance for Local Authorities (England and Wales)

Environmental Protection UK and LACORS are pleased to announce the release of guidance for local authorities on biomass and air quality. This finalised guidance supersedes drafts released for consultation during April 2009.

The guidance provides background material on the issues involved, and details procedures for assessing and managing the effects of biomass on air quality – specifically nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulates (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5). The document covers England and Wales only at present. Environmental Protection UK's Scottish division intend to produce an amended version of the guidance to cover Scotland, and will consult on this at a later date.

Full List of Documents:

• Biomass and Air Quality Guidance for Local Authorities (England and Wales)
  The main guidance document

Accompanying Tools

• Biomass and Air Quality, Developers' Information Leaflet
  A leaflet that local authorities can hand to developers considering biomass energy for their developments
• Biomass Boiler Information Request Template
  An adaptable template form for local authorities to request details of a biomass boiler
• Biomass Boiler Inventory Template
  A template spreadsheet for logging the details of biomass boilers, to help assess cumulative impacts
• Unit conversion and screening tool
  Emissions and fuel properties data may be presented in a variety of units, and this spreadsheet contains worksheets that convert between these. It also contains worksheets for the previously released biomass and air quality screening tool, and stack heights calculation (the 1956 chimney heights memorandum)
• Instructions for the unit conversion and screening tool

Printed copies of the main guidance document are available to order by contacting admin@environmental-protection.org.uk or calling 01273 878770.

Biomass and air quality issues will be further explored at the one-day event Biomass and Air Quality: Managing the Impacts to be held in London on the 23rd September. Click here to find out more.

Comments or queries about the guidance and accompanying documents should be sent to: Ed Dearnley (Policy Officer) Ed.Dearnley@environmental-protection.org.uk

Environmental Protection UK and LACORS gratefully acknowledge the work of the steering group who have overseen the production of this guidance. We also thanks DEFRA for providing funding for this work through the Air Quality Grant scheme.