Pollution to land, air and water can have serious health and environmental implications unless strictly controlled.
We put regulations and strategies in place for controlling environmental pollution and emissions, and support the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and local authorities to implement these.
Actions
We are controlling pollution in Scotland by:
- assisting local authorities and SEPA in cleaning up contaminated land
- working with SEPA as the environmental regulator for industrial emissions
- developing domestic policies and initiatives to improve air quality
- implementing legislation and issuing guidance to help control and prevent noise and nuisance
- setting measures to help protect the water environment
Background
Report a pollution incident
Pollution accidents or incidents that require an urgent response should be directed to SEPA's 24/7 pollution hotline: 0800 80 70 60
Role of SEPA
SEPA is the main authority for pollution issues in Scotland. Its main responsibilities in relation to pollution are:
- regulating emissions from industrial installations
- controlling pollution from waste management activities
- regulating installations using radioactive materials
- regulating discharges to rivers, lochs, estuaries and coastal waters
- advising us on the development of new policies for protecting Scotland's environment
Find more information on SEPA's website.
Role of local authorities
Local authorities main roles in relation to pollution are:
- ensuring local air quality meets national standards, and taking action where it does not
- inspecting their areas to identify areas of contaminated land, and ensuring that problem sites are cleaned up
- collecting and disposing of household waste
- dealing with complaints related to statutory nuisance issues
- taking action to control litter, clean up graffiti and address dog fouling
- controlling development through the land use planning system
- regulating for the identification and remediation of contaminated land
Bills and legislation
- Air quality legislation
- The Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2017
- The Environmental Liability (Scotland) Regulations 2009
- The Radioactive Contaminated Land (Scotland) Regulations 2007
- The Contaminated Land (Scotland) Regulations 2005
- The Contaminated Land (Scotland) Regulations 2000
- Environment Act 1995
- Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990
- The Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006
Contact
General enquiries: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0131 244 7813
Post:
Scottish Government
Environmental Quality and Circular Economy Division
3H South Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Air quality enquiries: air.quality@gov.scot