UK agency and legislative context - Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment - page 85

The regulations on decommissioning of nuclear power stations were added in 1999.
Dismantling and decommissioning require the consent of the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE). A licensee who applies for consent must provide the HSE with an EIS.
The regulations apply also to changes to existing dismantling or decommissioning
projects which may have significant effects on the environment.
3.5.5 The Pipe-line Works (Environmental Impact Assessment)
Regulations 2000 (SI 1928) The Public Gas Transporter Pipe-line
Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999 (SI 1672)
Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipe-lines (Assessment of
Environmental Effects) Regulations (SI 360)
The evolving array of regulations relating to pipelines reflects not only the growing
importance of such development, but also the continuation of the fragmented UK
approach to EIA legislation. The on-shore Pipe-line Works, and the Public Gas
Transporter Pipe-line Works, Regulations apply to England, Wales and Scotland; the
Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipe-lines Regulations apply to the whole of the UK.
Oil and gas pipelines with a diameter of more than 800 mm and longer than 40 km come
within Annex I of the Directive; those that fall below either of these thresholds are in
Annex II For the latter, pipelines 10 miles long or less are approved under the planning
legislation. The rest fall under the above pipeline regulations, normally with
determination by the relevant SoS in relation to associated consent and authorisation
procedures and to various criteria and thresholds. For example, on-shore gas pipe-line
works in Annex II of the Directive may be subject to EIA if they have a design operating
pressure exceeding 7 bar gauge or either they wholly or in part cross a sensitive area (e.g.
national park).
3.5.6 Environmental Impact Assessment (forestry) (England and Wales)
Regulations 1999 (SI 2228)
Under the original EIA Directive and associated UK regulations, forestry EIAs were
limited to those projects where applicants wished to apply for a grant or loan, for
afforestation purposes, from the Forestry Agency. The lack of EIA requirements for other
forestry projects, the perceived vested interest of the Forestry Agency as a promoter of
forestry and the lack of EIA requirements for the Agency's own projects have all been
criticised (e.g. by the CPRE (CPRE 1991)). The amended Directive and associated UK
legislation have subsequently brought about some changes.
Afforestation and deforestation come under Annex II of the Directive. Under the
above Regulations, anyone who proposes to carry out a forestry project that is likely to
have significant effects on the environment must apply for a consent from the Forestry
Agency before starting work. Those who apply for consent will be required to produce an
EIS. The Regulations include: afforestation (creating new woodlands), deforestation
(conversion of woodland to another use), constructing forest roads and quarrying material
to construct forest roads. Where projects are below 5ha (afforestation) and 1 ha (others),
they may be deemed unlikely to have significant effects on the environment, unless they
are in sensitive areas. Given the variability of sites and projects, the Forestry Agency