Introduction to Fire Safety Management

BATNEEC – best environmental technique not 
entailing excessive cost
BATNEEC strikes a balance between the best available 
technology and management techniques with what the 
industry sector can generally afford. In reducing emis-
sions to the lowest practicable level, account will be 
taken of local conditions and circumstances, both of the 
process and the environment.
The ‘BAT’ refers to:
➤
Best – the most effective in ‘preventing, minimising 
or rendering harmless polluting emissions’
➤
Available – does not necessarily imply that the 
technology is in general use but that it is generally 
accessible
➤
Techniques – refers both to technology or the pro-
cess and how it is operated.
The concept of ‘BAT’ consists not just of the technol-
ogy but the whole process and includes matters such 
as staff numbers, working methods, training, supervision 
and the manner of operating the process.
BATNEEC is usually expressed as emission limits for 
the particular substances released by a process.
Best practicable environmental option
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution 
states that the aim of ‘BPEO’ is:
To fi nd the optimum combination of avail-
able methods of disposal so as to limit dam-
age to the environment to the greatest extent 
achievable for a reasonable and acceptable 
total combined cost to industry and the pub-
lic purse.
Operators are required to monitor their emissions and 
report these to their relevant enforcing authority (EA) on 
an annual basis. If the EA believes that the operator is 
breaching their conditions of authorisation, they may 
serve enforcement notices to:
➤
Revoke the authorisation
➤
Specify steps that must be taken with a time limit for 
compliance
➤
Prohibit the process.
Ultimately, the EA may initiate criminal proceedings for 
a breach of the EPA with a maximum fi ne of £20 000 for 
summary cases and an unspecifi ed fi ne and/or up to two 
years’ imprisonment for indictable cases.
In a similar way to the HSW Act, the onus of proving 
that BATNEEC and BPEO are achieved rests with the 
accused.