Launch of the IAQM Odour Guidance

Some “Highlights” from the IAQM Odour & Planning Guidance

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Why Guidance is Needed?

• Guidance is available but only related to specific activities (e.g. Environment Agency H4 Guidance, Defra Local Authority Guidance)

• No guidance is directly relevant to the preparation of odour assessments in relation to planning applications

• No guidance has specifically addressed how to assess the significance of odour impacts for EIA purposes.

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Why IAQM Guidance?

• The IAQM is the professional body for air quality professionals. It acts as the voice of air quality in the UK by producing useful and timely guidance on matters affecting air quality professionals (over 300 members).

• Already has a strong track record in the production of air quality related guidance – Construction Dust Assessment and Monitoring guidance produced, provided methods for assessment of significance for the EPUK Air Quality and Planning Guidance.

• Members recognised the need for such guidance as a result of their involvement in planning projects.

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Purpose of the Guidance

• Intended to fill the gap where there is absence of guidance for planning related work where H4 (and other guidance isn’t relevant;

• Guidance is intended to improve quality of odour assessments and provide some consistency across the industry

• Provides advice on how to apply odour standards and to assess the significance of impacts

• To provide air quality professionals with advice on best practice for odour assessments

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What it doesn’t intend to do

• There is no intention to duplicate guidance for processes regulated by the Environment Agency – clear statement that current guidance would apply

• Not intended to replace guidance where this already exists (e.g. some advice on WWTW, composting and restaurants already available from Defra)

• Not intended to be a detailed background reference document on the science of odours nor a detailed “how to” manual – aimed at experienced professionals

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How Guidance has Been Developed

• IAQM recognised the need for guidance;• Introductory meeting held in September 2012 included a

call for volunteers to join a working group• Working group met throughout 2013 to develop

guidance, working draft circulated to the group for comment in summer 2013

• Finalised consultation draft now being formatted for issue in February 2014

• IAQM members consultation from February 2014• Final version to be launched today.

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Consultation Responses

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Some “Highlights” from the IAQM Odour & Planning Guidance

• Content of an odour assessment for planning

• General approach to assessments for planning and EIA

• Example use of selected assessment tools– Qualitative risk-based predictions

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Content of an Odour Impact Assessment for Planning

1. A description of existing baseline odour conditions (including complaints history) where relevant.

2. A description of the location of receptors and their relative sensitivities to odour effects.

3. Details of potential odour sources (whether existing or proposed), including the activities and materials involved (including a brief outline of quantities, durations, methods of handling and storage, etc) and the resulting potential for generating odours, covering fugitive sources, diffuse sources and point sources.

4. A description of control/mitigation measures incorporated into the scheme (including management controls and, where appropriate, engineering controls).

5. A prediction or observation (or combination of both), using appropriate assessment tools, of the likely odour impact and resulting effects at relevant sensitive receptors, and taking into account the following:

a) the likely magnitude of odour emissions (after control by measures incorporated into the scheme, if applicable);

b) the likely meteorological characteristics at the site;

c) the dispersion and dilution afforded by the pathway to the receptors and the resulting magnitude of odour that could result;

d) the sensitivity of the receptors; and

e) the potential cumulative odour effects with any odours of a similar character, e.g. if odours from kitchen waste are in addition to an existing municipal solid waste throughput.

6. Where odour effects are assessed as significant, appropriate further mitigation and control measures that could allow the proposal to proceed without causing significant loss of amenity.

7. The residual odour impacts and their effects.

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Summary of Odour Assessment Tools

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The Route to an Adverse Odour Effect

• For an adverse effect (disamenity, annoyance, nuisance, complaints) to occur, there must be odour exposure.

• To get exposure, all 3 links in the S-P-R chain must be present.

• The scale of exposure (the impact) is determined by the FIDO factors.

• Magnitude of the odour effect experienced is determined by scale of exposure (FIDO) and the sensitivity L of the receptor (= FIDOL)

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What Planning Guidance Requires

• Most odour assessment tools measure or predict odour exposure/impact (or some element of it), not the resulting effect. However:– NPPF requires the effects of pollution on health, the natural

environment or general amenity to be taken into account.– EIA regulations require an assessment to reach a conclusion on the

likely significance of the effect.

• So once we have the results from our tools, we need to take a further step and gauge the magnitude of effect resulting from the odour impact on a receptor of a particular sensitivity.

• A matter of judgement that can`t easily be defined by scientific methods alone; ideally requires wider societal and stakeholder consensus

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Receptor Sensitivity

Low Medium High

Odour Exposure (Impact)

Very Large Moderate adverseSubstantial

adverseSubstantial

adverse

Large Slight adverse Moderate adverseSubstantial

adverse

Medium Negligible Slight adverse Moderate adverse

Small Negligible Negligible Slight adverse

Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible

IAQM Suggested Descriptors for Magnitudes of Odour Effects

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Sensitivity of Receptors to Odours

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Significance of Effects

• Where the overall effect is greater than “slight adverse”, the effect is likely to be considered significant.

• This is a binary judgement: either it is “significant” or it is “not significant”.

• Concluding that an effect is significant should not mean, of itself, that a development proposal is unacceptable and the planning application should be refused; rather, it should mean that careful consideration needs to be given to:– the consequences; – the scope for securing further mitigation; and – the balance with any wider environmental, social and economic

benefits that the proposal would bring.

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Qualitative Risk-Based Odour Assessments

• Can be an appropriate predictive technique for:– Screening of odour impacts– Developments likely to have a low risk of adverse effects– Insufficient information to carry out dispersion modelling– The information / input data have wide uncertainties– When a detailed model not able to properly represent the real situation

being assessed, e.g. Significant unplanned releases

• No standard protocol exists for use in planning.• Should be based clearly on the S-P-R approach.• IAQM provides an example framework.

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Examples of Risk Factors for Odour Source and Pathway

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Risk of Odour Exposure (Impact) at the Specific Receptor Location

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Likely Magnitude of Odour Effect at the Specific Receptor Location

Risk of Odour ExposureReceptor Sensitivity

Low Sensitivity Medium Sensitivity High Sensitivity

High Risk of Odour

ExposureSlight Adverse Effect Moderate Adverse Effect Substantial Adverse Effect

Medium Risk of Odour

ExposureNegligible Effect Slight Adverse Effect Moderate Adverse Effect

Low Risk of Odour

ExposureNegligible Effect Negligible Effect Slight Adverse Effect

Negligible Risk of Odour

ExposureNegligible Effect Negligible Effect Negligible Effect

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Example Summary of the Likely Odour Effects at Existing Sensitive Receptors

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Full Contents of the Guidance

• General Introduction to Odours• Assessment of Odour• Using Odour Assessment Tools• Odour Benchmarks• Odour Management Plans• Guidance on Predictive Assessment Tools • Guidance on Observational Assessment Tools• Glossary of Terms

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IAQM

Guidance Document is available on the IAQM Website

http://iaqm.co.uk/guidance

Guidance will be reviewed after a year based on user feedback

odour@iaqm.co.uk