UPDATE ON INCLUSION OF MANUAL STACK EMISSIONS MONITORING WITHIN MCERTS

ABSTRACT
Proposals by the Environment Agency to extend its Monitoring Certification Scheme:MCERTS to manual stack emissions monitoring were published in June 1999. The proposals provide for the establishment of a Register of MCERTS qualified personnel and monitoring organisations. Registration would be based on third party certification of personnel and accreditation of monitoring organisations in accordance with European Standards to demonstrate conformance with the Agency’s MCERTS requirements.

INTRODUCTION
Most of the monitoring of emissions from industrial processes is carried out by industrial process operators under self-monitoring arrangements. In order to ensure that these arrangements command the confidence of both regulators and the public the Environment Agency is pursuing several initiatives to improve the quality and reliability of self monitoring data. Central to these initiatives has been the establishment of the Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certification Scheme: MCERTS. 

Proposals for the establishment of MCERTS were first consulted onin 1996⁽¹⁾. These focused initially on industrial stack emissions monitoring instruments. Responses were overwhelmingly supportive and the Agency proceeded with development of the Scheme. Sira Certification Service (SCS) were appointed to manage the Certification Service and MCERTS was successfully launched in April 1998.

The original proposals referred to the Agency’s intention to broaden the Scheme later. The Agency considers that the regulatory requirements for manual stack emissions monitoring need to be more clearly stated in order to improve the reliability of this form of monitoring.  This paper summarises the proposals⁽²⁾ published by the Agency in June 1999 for achieving this by establishing a Register of MCERTS qualified personnel and organisations carrying out manual stack emissions monitoring.