2 Minor effect Contamination, damage <100 100 - Limited Some local public concern; sufficiently large to affect the 1,000 impact some complaints received; environment, single slight local media and/or local exceedance of statutory or political attention with prescribed criteria, single potentially negative aspects for complaint, no permanent effect Opco operations on the environment 3 Localised Limited loss of discharges of 100 1,000- Considerable Regional public concern; effect known toxicity, repeated 10,000 impact numerous complaints; exceedance of statutory or extensive negative attention in prescribed limit and beyond local media; slight national fence/neighbourhood media and/or local/regional political attention with possible negative stance of local government and/or action groups 4 Major effect Severe environmental 1000 - 10,000 - National National public concern; damage, the Opco is required 10,000 100,000 impact continuing complaints; to take extensive measures to extensive negative attention in restore the contaminated national media and/or environment to its original regional/national politics with state. Extended exceedance of potentially restrictive measures statutory or prescribed limit and/or impact on grant of licences; mobilisation of action groups 5 Massive Persistent severe >10,000 >100,000 International International public attention; effect environmental damage or impact extensive negative attention in severe nuisance extending international media and over a large area. In terms of national/international politics; commercial or recreational use potential to harm access to or nature conservancy, a major new areas, grants of licences economic loss for the Opco. and/or tax legislation; Constant high exceedance of concerted pressure by action statutory or prescribed limit groups; adverse effects in Opcos in other countries The above table is an example for crude oil contamination. For other chemical discharge criteria, environmental experts should be consulted. Incidents relating to air, noise, small, light and soil vibrations should be addressed on the basis of expert judgement and, in the case of uncertainty, local expertise may be called in. * 'Incident' as used in Severity level 1 must be seen as the source of the concern for all severity levels. It is defined in the glossary but recognise it includes an environmental problem, an event or chain of events which has caused or could have caused spills, leaks, complaints, public concern, issue debates, failing to follow commitments and so forth. 'Public' must be seen as encompassing a wide range including 'opinion formers', e.g. environmental scientists; groups; politicians; authorities (of various types); media (scientific general).
2 Minor effect Contamination, damage sufficiently large to affect the environment, single exceedance of statutory or prescribed criteria, single complaint, no permanent effect on the environment <100 100 - 1,000 Limited impact Some local public concern; some complaints received; slight local media and/or local political attention with potentially negative aspects for Opco operations 3 Localised effect Limited loss of discharges of known toxicity, repeated exceedance of statutory or prescribed limit and beyond fence/neighbourhood 100 1,000- 10,000 Considerable impact Regional public concern; numerous complaints; extensive negative attention in local media; slight national media and/or local/regional political attention with possible negative stance of local government and/or action groups 4 Major effect Severe environmental damage, the Opco is required to take extensive measures to restore the contaminated environment to its original state. Extended exceedance of statutory or prescribed limit 1000 - 10,000 10,000 - 100,000 National impact National public concern; continuing complaints; extensive negative attention in national media and/or regional/national politics with potentially restrictive measures and/or impact on grant of licences; mobilisation of action groups 5 Massive effect Persistent severe environmental damage or severe nuisance extending over a large area. In terms of commercial or recreational use or nature conservancy, a major economic loss for the Opco. Constant high exceedance of statutory or prescribed limit >10,000 >100,000 International impact International public attention; extensive negative attention in international media and national/international politics; potential to harm access to new areas, grants of licences and/or tax legislation; concerted pressure by action groups; adverse effects in Opcos in other countries The above table is an example for crude oil contamination. For other chemical discharge criteria, environmental experts should be consulted. Incidents relating to air, noise, small, light and soil vibrations should be addressed on the basis of expert judgement and, in the case of uncertainty, local expertise may be called in. * 'Incident' as used in Severity level 1 must be seen as the source of the concern for all severity levels. It is defined in the glossary but recognise it includes an environmental problem, an event or chain of events which has caused or could have caused spills, leaks, complaints, public concern, issue debates, failing to follow commitments and so forth. 'Public' must be seen as encompassing a wide range including 'opinion formers', e.g. environmental scientists; groups; politicians; authorities (of various types); media (scientific general).
EP-95-0300_(HEMP)[1].docx