Air Pollution can have a serious effect on people's health. Exposure to air pollution can have long-term effects on health, it also has negative impacts on our environment.
The UK Government's and devolved administrations' primary objective is to ensure that all citizens should have access to outdoor air without significant risk to their health, where this is economically and technically feasible.
In order to improve air quality for all citizens in NI Local Authorities are responsible for reviewing the state of air quality in their district. To assist them with this process an Air Quality Strategy
has been devised for the UK. This sets down standards and objectives for the air quality pollutants causing the problems and allows Local Authorities to review air quality in their area against these. NI departments also have a responsibility to ensure limit values, target values and alert thresholds for specified pollutants are not exceeded.
The UK Air Quality Strategy ("AQS")
The AQS sets out a comprehensive strategic framework for air quality policies, and establishes Air Quality Objectives for key air pollutants.
In most cases, the AQS Objectives are identical to the EC Directive Limit Values, the only differences being the more stringent dates by which the former must be achieved.
The European Council Directive 96/62/EC on Ambient Air Quality Assessment and Management, (The Framework Directive) , establishes a framework under which the EC will agree air quality limit or guide values for specified pollutants in a series of 'Daughter Directives'. These will supersede existing air quality legislation. It is envisaged that the structures established under the AQS and supporting legislation will provide the principal means of implementing the UK's commitments under this Directive. So far, three Daughter Directives have been created:
- The first Daughter Directive (1999/30/EEC ), covering sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen (NO2), particulate matter as PM10, and lead, came into force on 19 July 1999. This Directive contains limit values for these pollutants, aimed at protection of human health and, of ecosystems. This Directive was transposed by The Air Quality Limit Values Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 .
- The third Daughter Directive (or EC Ozone Directive, 2002/3/EC
137KB), came into force on 9th March 2003 and was transposed the following year.
- The fourth Daughter Directive (2004/107/EC ) covers the remaining pollutants listed in the Framework Directive. These pollutants are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the metallic elements cadmium,arsenic,nickel and mercury. This Directive sets target values of emissions but not mandatory limits.
Directive 2008/50/EC (489 KB), which came into force on 11th June 2008, merges four existing Directive and one Decision (96/62/EC , 1999/30/EC , 2000/69/EC , 2002/03/EC and 97/101/EC ) into a single Directive on ambient air quality, and a cleaner air for Europe.
This Directive provides a new regulatory framework for fine particles by setting binding standards for fine particle (PM 2.5) pollution in the EU, which together with coarser particles known as PM10 already subject to legislation, are considered among the most dangerous pollutants for human health.
Directive 2008/50/EC (489 KB) was transposed by the Air Quality Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 on 11th June 2010.
Consultation on Air Quality Plans to meet EU Limit Values for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in Northern Ireland
A consultation has been launched to request views from the public on updated draft air quality plans that set out the action taken and being planned at national, regional and local levels to meet the annual and hourly EU NO2 limit values in Northern Ireland as soon as possible.
More information can be found in the attached letter (34KB), which was issued to stakeholders in June 2011.
This consultation is being coordinated by DEFRA. You can access all of the consultation documents via the DEFRA consultation webpage or the DEFRA air quality policy page .
The air quality plans are hosted on DEFRA's UK Air website which has been designed to help you find easily the air quality plan for the part of the country you are interested in.
The consultation has closed.
The Department is currently considering responses. If you would like any further information, please contact us using the details below.
Please feel free to contact the Air and Environmental Quality Team at:
Air and Environmental Quality Team
Department of the Environment
Goodwood House
44 - 58 May Street
Belfast BT1 4NN
E-mail: aeqteam@doeni.gov.uk
Tel.: (028) 90 254 758.
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