DT5 1PP, Powerfuel Portland Limited, EPR/AP3304SZ/A001: environmental permit draft decision re-advertisement

Overview

We are seeking your comments on the proposed decision for a new bespoke application for an environmental permit from Powerfuel Portland Limited for

Portland Energy Recovery Facility
Portland Port
Castletown
Portland
DT5 1PP

We originally consulted on our draft decision from 12 July – 11 August 2024. However, we received correspondence that one of the links given in the Briefing Note wasn’t working correctly; this meant that some people who wanted to submit a response may not have been able to do so. We have therefore taken the decision to reopen the final consultation on our draft decision.

If you did respond to the consultation that closed on 11 August we will have received your comments and there is no need for you to re-submit your response.

Please note, the draft Permit Notice and Decision Document included in this consultation are the same as those previously consulted on. They do not include any updates or changes resulting from responses to the previous consultation on our draft decision. 

We can take account of

• Relevant environmental regulatory requirements and technical standards.
• Information on local population and sensitive sites.
• Comments on whether the right process is being used for the activity, for example whether the technology is the right one.
• The shape and use of the land around the site in terms of its potential impact, whether that impact is acceptable and what pollution control or abatement may be required.
• The impact of noise and odour from traffic on site.
• Permit conditions by providing information that we have not been made aware of in the application, or by correcting incorrect information in the application (e.g. monitoring and techniques to control pollution).

We cannot take account of

• Issues beyond those in the relevant environmental regulations.
• Anything outside the remit of the EPR, e.g. the proposed location of the site, which is done by the local authority via land use planning.
• Whether a site should have a formal designation under Habitats Directive or other conservation legislation.
• Whether the activity should be allowed or not as a matter of principle. For example we will not consider whether wood, gas, or coal should be burnt to produce electricity; only that the options and environmental impact of say wood has been considered. We will not consider whether a waste incinerator proposal should be turned into a sorting and recycle proposal, only that the incinerator options and effect have been considered.
• Land use issues when determining a permit application, even if changing the location of the activity would improve its environmental performance.
• The impact of noise and odour from traffic travelling to and from the site.
• The legally defined process we follow to determine a permit.
• The granting of a permit/variation if the operator is able to demonstrate that they can carry out the activity without significant risk to the environment or human health.