Industrial permitting, IPPC/EPR

CERC uses the ADMS industrial pollution model to carry out a huge variety of air quality assessments for the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC) and Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR), planning applications and risk assessments, both in the United Kingdom and overseas. CERC's GASTAR model is used for dense gas emissions.

Factors such as the effects of buildings, complex terrain and the atmospheric chemistry of nitrogen oxides are taken into account as necessary. The impacts of condensed water plumes from cooling towers and drying processes are quantified where potentially visibly intrusive or likely to have an impact on safety or the environmental impacts.

CERC's modelling reports clearly set out full details of the input data and all assumptions made. The calculated impacts on air quality are presented for easy comparison against the relevant air quality standards, with concentration contour plots overlaid on digital maps to show how impacts vary across the surrounding area.

Many air quality assessments require investigation of the impacts on sensitive ecosystems and habitats. Relevant areas include Natura 2000 sites: Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA) and RAMSAR sites, as well as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). CERC calculates pollutant concentrations for comparison against objectives for the protection of vegetation and ecosystems, and deposition impacts for comparison against Critical Loads relevant to the ecosystems in question.

CERC also carries out Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA), using dispersion model results as input to the approach set out in the US EPA Human Health Risk Assessment Protocol (HHRAP). For example, HHRA can be required to assess the impact of dioxins emitted from processes regulated under the Waste Incineration Directive (WID).

CERC's industrial clients have included Anglian Water, E.ON, British Sugar, Johnson Matthey, BP, Arcadis GMI and Nestlé, among many others.