Includes all material/matter, natural or synthetic, for example, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hormones, antibiotics, oil, particulates, gases, liquids, etc.
Energy can be expressed in traditional scientific language: thermal, chemical, electrical, kinetic, quantum, electromagnetic, laser, potential, light, and sound, etc. Common usage for the term centres on power generation: oil-fired, coal-fired, gas-fired, nuclear energy and renewable energy (wind power, hydro power, wave/tidal energy, solar energy etc.).
Energy is not restricted to large-scale power plants and electricity generation. It also includes heat (heat, in the form of hot water emitted into a river for example, can have a drastic effect on the plants, animals and fish living in the vicinity), combined heat and power, renewables (including micro-renewables), biomass, fuel-cells, etc. Energy will also include sunlight, geothermal, radio waves, microwaves and radar waves.
Although noise is itself energy, it is included here separately. Noise may be subjective, localised and transient.
A simple dictionary definition of noise is, “a sound, especially one that is loud, unpleasant, or disturbing”. Noise also includes vibrations (section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990).
Radioactive materials are used in many situations, settings and industries. Radioactive materials are used in common products ranging from the luminous dials on watches, to smoke detectors. Radioactive waste can be generated by hospitals; the pharmaceutical industry; the oil industry; military establishments; scientific research establishments; industrial radiography equipment manufacture; and, of course, the nuclear power generation industry.
According to Directive 96/61/EC on integrated pollution prevention and control (the IPPC Directive), “emission” means the direct or indirect release of substances, vibrations, heat or noise from individual or diffuse sources into the air, water or land.
There is no definition of “discharges” in the IPPC Directive. Common usage of the term in this context suggests it may generally be reserved (although not exclusively) for liquid releases into water. Page 5 This approach is supported by the use of “discharge” in water pollution legislation, for example the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.
A helpful approach to understanding this term may be found in section 1(10) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which states that a substance is “released” into any environmental medium whenever it is released directly into that medium whether it is released into it within or outside Great Britain. The 1990 Act goes on to say that “release” includes –
- in relation to air, any emission of the substance into the air
- in relation to water, any entry (including discharge) of the substance into water
- in relation to land, any deposit, keeping or disposal of the substance in or on land.