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Environmental Enforcement

Air Quality

What is Air Quality?

Air quality is a measure of how good our air quality is in terms of the type and quantity of pollutants contained within it.  Poor air quality can affect peoples' health, causing problems such as heart disease and breathing problems.  Up to 24,000 people per year die prematurely because of its effects (The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland, Working Together for Clean Air). 

Summary of Air Pollution Health Effects:

[It should be noted that there are a variety of sources of particulate matter  some of which are related to human activities and some such as pollen  which relate to nature. The National Pollen Index can be accessed here.]

There are links to the following further information on this page:

• Air Quality & Environmental Enforcement's Pollution Team. 
• Local Air Quality Management (LAQM).
• Local Air Quality related Reports.
• Declaration of the Maidstone Town Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) 2008. 
• Air Pollution Forecasts.
• Air Quality Data.
• The Kent and Medway Air Quality Partnership (KAMAQP) & The Kent and Medway Air Quality Monitoring Network (KAMAQN).
• What can we do to help improve Air Quality?
• Reporting Smokey vehicles.
• Bonfires & barbeques.
• Climate change and its relation to air quality.
• Air Quality in relation to heavy metals.

Air Quality & Environmental Enforcement's Pollution Team

We have several officers working either directly or indirectly in the area of air quality issues including:

• Coordinating action between MBC and KCC departments which relate to air quality.
• Coordinating action in the Maidstone Borough Air Quality Management Area(s).
• Carrying out district wide review and assessment of air quality.
• Measuring and monitoring air pollution levels.
• Inspecting industrial sources of air pollution which are prescribed for licensing controls under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000 and the Solvent Emmissions directive.
• Inspecting and giving advise on the new Smokefree legislation.
• Investigating air pollution complaints about:

- garden bonfires;

- dark smoke and potentially toxic fumes from burning of unstable materials

- nuisance dusts - building sites, mineral works etc;

- nuisance odours - e.g. farming and industrial smells;

- smoky diesel vehicles - supporting the Vehicle Licensing Inspectorates's work.

Local Air Quality Management - Monitoring & Our Role

Maidstone council has two continuous air quality monitoring stations: one in the town centre and one in a rural location at Detling. We also use diffusion tubes deployed around the borough and computer modelling to assess the air quality situation.

Our Statutory Duty

Part IV of the Environment Act, 1995, places a statutory duty on local authorities to periodically review and assess the air quality within their area.

[This involves consideration of present and likely future air quality against air quality standards and objectives. Guidelines for the ‘Review and Assessment’ of local air quality were published in the 1997 National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) [1] and associated guidance and technical guidance. In 2000, Government reviewed the NAQS and set down a revised Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland[2] (AQS).  This set down a revised framework for air quality standards and objectives for seven pollutants, which were subsequently set in Regulations in 2000 through the Air Quality Regulations 2000[3]. These were subsequently amended in 2002[4].]

Review and Assessment of air quality within the Borough should be carried out for six key pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine particles, benezene, 1,3 butadiene and sulphur dioxide. Each round of Review and Assessment involves an initial assessment followed up by various different types of other assessments and reports (depending on the data obtained) over an approximately 3-4 year cycle.  

Designation of Air Quality Management Areas: 

If the air quality review and assessment reveals that one or more of the air quality objectives are unlikely to be met the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) covering the part (or parts) of the borough where the problem lies.

Action Planning: 

Once an AQMA has been declared a local authority must develop an Action Plan, which sets out what it will do, in partnership with County Council, other relevant organisations, stakeholders and the public, in order to work towards meeting the air quality objectives. The aim is also to encourage active participation in the achievement of action plan measures by consulting the local community and raising awareness of air pollution incidents

[1] DoE (1997) The United Kingdom Nation Air Quality Strategy The Stationery Office

[2] DETR (2000) The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – Working together for Clean Air, The Stationery Office

[3] DETR (2000) The Air Quality Regulations 2000, The Stationery Office

[4] Defra (2002) The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: Addendum, The Stationery Office

First round of Review and Assessment:

 This was completed in 2002 and culminated in the declaration of an Air Quality Management Area between junctions 6 and 7 on the M20.  A Further Assessment was submitted to & approved by Defra in May 2002 in conjunction with an Air Aquality Action Plan which was submitted and approved between 2003-4.

Action Plan progress reports have been submitted annually since May 2005.The Air Quality Action Plan approved in May 2004 seeks to propose and deliver measures that will work towards achieving a reduction in emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) around this area of the M20. 

Second round of Review and Assessment:

 The Update and Screening Assessment, completed in May 2003, concluded that the Air Quality Objective (AQO) for nitrogen dioxide and fine particles was unlikely to be met in certain parts of Maidstone Town Centre.  The Detailed Assessment, carried out on behalf of Maidstone Borough Council, used monitoring and dispersion modeling to determine whether the AQO for nitrogen dioxide and fine particles would be exceeded in certain parts of Maidstone Town Centre. The Detailed Assessment concluded that the AQO would not be met and defined the extent and magnitude of the exceedences.  As a result of the findings of the Detailed Assessment, Maidstone Borough Council's second Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was declared in January 2005.  In order to confirm the findings of the Detailed Assessment and to calculate more accurately how much of an improvement in air quality would be needed to deliver the air quality objectives within the AQMA, the Further Assessment was carried out and completed in February 2006. A finalized version of the Maidstone Town Centre Air Quality Action Plan has now been submitted to Defra for approval (end Feb 2007).

Third round of Review and Assessment:

 The results of the Updating and Screening assessment (completed in April 2006) have shown that a Detailed Assessment is required for nitrogen dioxide as a result of measured exceedences of the annual mean objective at the nearest receptors to 2 monitoring locations - Well Road and Fountain Lane.

The provisional annual PM₁₀ objective for 2010 is predicted to be exceeded at a number of busy roads and junctions assessed due to the high modelled background PM₁₀ for 2010. This will require further assessment in future air quality assessments if included in Regulations. In addition, it was recommended that monitoring be undertaken at the nearest receptor to the Loose Road/ Sutton Road junction to confirm compliance with the objective as results predicted that NO₂ annual mean concentrations were marginally below the objective. A Detailed Assessment report was submitted to Defra at the beginning of June 2007 and accepted in Decemember 2007. The Pollution team recently produced an AQMA options report, (having consulted with various air quality experts, transport planners and other Local Authorities; and having surveyed what has been done nationally). Maidstone borough council have now decided to extend the Maidstone Town AQMA to cover the whole town conurbation (including the original M20 AQMA). The new AQMA Order including a map of the area may be viewed here.

Local Air Quality related Reports

Relevant reports (electronic versions) can be here as follows:

• AQMA Options Report (Feb2008).
• Detailed Assessment for the Maidstone area (2007).
• Final version Air Quality Action Plan for Maidstone Town Centre.
• Further Assessment (Jan 2006).
• Detailed Assessment for the Maidstone area (2004).
• Detailed Assessment for the Maidstone area (2004) executive summary here.
• Air Quality Action Plan for the M20.

Hard copies of the above documents can also be obtained from:

Environmental Enforcement

Maidstone House

King Street

Maidstone

Kent ME15 6JQ

or by telephoning Pollution Control, Environmental Enforcement Department on 01622 602202.

Declaration of an amended Maidstone Town Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) 2008

An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) is an air quality action zone within which:

• Ways to improve air quality are actively sought, planned for and coordinated.
• Ways and means of maintaining improvements in air quality are also sought, planned for and coordinated.
• By declaring an AQMA the vulnerability of an area to poor air quality is recognised and ways to address the problems and help safeguard future air quality are actively sought and carried out through the implementation of an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP).

The new amended Maidstone Town AQMA boundary (detailed in appendix A - Environmental Enforcement’s AQMA Options report February 2008) includes the majority of the built-up area and M20 between Junctions 6 to 8. It is considerably larger than the identified hotspot areas. It is important to realise that the AQMA is an air quality action zone within which improvements in air quality are planned for and managed. Therefore the boundary of an AQMA may be wider than the extent of those areas where the Air Quality Objective is likely to be exceeded.

Air Pollution Forecasts

Daily updated forecasts of UK air pollution concentrations for up to 24 hours ahead can be accessed here .

Latest Air Pollution Levels

Daily maximum pollution levels can be accessed here .

Air Quality Data - What are the passed and current air pollution levels?

MBC have been monitoring Air Quality for many years and this data is used to compile the LAQM & various other background reports etc, (as listed above); and thus used to inform decisions.

Past and present Pollution levels can be accessed here .

The Kent and Medway Air Quality Partnership (KAMAQP) & The Kent and Medway Air Quality Monitoring Network (KAMAQN)

The KAMQP is an alliance between 12 of the 13 Kent & Medway LA'S which was set up in 1994 in order to support and coordinate their work on LAQM; and this alliance has lead to the creation of the KAMAQN.

The network (KAMAQN) is funded by the districts and boroughs within the county with an additional contribution from Kent County Council. The aims of the network are to promote the improvement of air quality within the region, help local authorities to meet their obligations under Environmental Regulations and maintain an accessible database of robust measurements for public reporting, research and development. The network can be accessed through a link here.

What can we do to help improve air quality?

• The majority of air pollution in the Maidstone borough relates to traffic emissions, so anything we can do to avoid unnecessary journeys and relieve the strains on our local road systems is of benefit:

Car sharing with friends and work colleagues in order to cut down journey's.

For examples of the benefts and how one can set up such car pools access Kentcarshare here. 

• More use of Public Transport will also help relieve congestion. Public transport information may be accessed here.
• Consider walking or cycling for shorter journeys - when a car engine is cold it produces 60% more pollution than when it is warmed up.
• Information on pedestrian routes may be accessed here.
• Information on cycle routes may be accessed here.
• Efficient driving style - Rapid acceleration and heavy braking both lead to greater fuel consumption and contribute to poor air quality. Avoid idling your engine unnecessarily. [It should be noted that motorists can be exposed to up to three times the level of pollution as pedestrians. This is because concentrations of pollutants are highest near the emission source, and you are driving directly in line with the vehicle in front.] Change gear in good time before engine noise becomes more noticeable or before 2,500 rpm if your car has a rev counter. This saves fuel and possible damage to your engine. Drive within the speed limit: cars travelling at or above 70 mph can use up to 30% more fuel to cover the same distance as those travelling at 50 mph!
• Good vehicle Maintenance - Under-inflated tyres increase fuel consumption and can be dangerous. Make sure your engine is 'in tune', badly tuned vehicles use more fuel and emit more exhaust fumes; and 90% of badly polluting vehicles can be retuned by a garage wthin 15 minutes. Have your vehicle regularly serviced including an emmissions check.

Car Emissions:

VCA is the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval authority and with more than 30 years experience supports industry by providing internationally recognised testing and certification for vehicles, their systems and components. A link to VCA can be accessed here.

Reporting Smoky Vehicles:

Diesel fumes are a substantial source of air pollution in urban areas. They can be unpleasant to breathe and they make buildings sooty.

The Council, working with the Department of Transport, would like your help to improve current standards by reporting excessively smoky lorries and buses. Please note that this does not apply to light vans, cars or taxis.

However please note that well maintained diesel engined vehicles do emit some smoke when starting from cold, accelerating or travelling uphill. This is normal and should not be reported. Please report vehicles only if they are continuously emitting excessive smoke.

The information needed to trace an excessively smoky vehicle and investigate a report is:

• Registration number
• Vehicle description - make, model, colour etc
• Date, time and place you saw the vehicle
• The name of the vehicle's operator, if one is visible

When this information is supplied the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) will contact the vehicle operator and investigate the report.

You can contact the Intelligence Officer in your area - VOSA Intelligence Areas or email: enquiries@vosa.gov.uk - please state in the email title what type of information is included and complete and attach a reporting form if required. Alternatively ring the VOSA Enquiry Unit via the National Number 0870 60 60 440.

Smoky Vehicle Report Form (PDF) / Smoky Vehicle Report Form (Word).

More information on VOSA activities can be obtained by visiting their web site using the following link http://www.vosa.gov.uk/ .

Bonfires

Why bonfires are a problem:

• Pollution

• Health

Emissions from bonfires can have damaging health effects. Serious harm is unlikely if exposure to bonfire smoke is brief. However, problems may be caused for asthmatics, bronchitis sufferers, people with heart conditions and children.

• Annoyance

The smoke, smuts and smell from bonfires are the subject of many complaints to local authorities. Smoke prevents your neighbours from enjoying their gardens, opening windows or hanging out washing, and reduces visibility in the neighbourhood and on roads. Allotments near homes can cause particular problems, if plot holders persistently burn waste. Follow this link for further information relating to Smoke .

• Safety

Fire can spread to fences or buildings and scorch trees and plants. Exploding bottles and cans are a hazard when rubbish is burned. Piles of garden waste are often used as a refuge by animals, so look out for hibernating wildlife and sleeping pets.

Alternatives to bonfires:

• Composting

• Recycling

Bonfires and the law:

• Barbeques:

Bonfire guidelines:

• Never burn household rubbish, rubber tyres, or anything containing plastic, foam or paint.
• Never use old engine oil, meths or petrol to light the fire or to encourage it.
• Avoid lighting a fire in unsuitable weather conditions - smoke hangs in the air on damp, still days and in the evening. If it is windy, smoke may be blown into neighbours' gardens and across roads.
• Avoid burning when air pollution in your area is high or very high. This information is included in weather forecasts, or you can check by ringing 0800 556677.
• Never leave the fire unattended or leave it to smoulder - douse it with water if necessary.

Climate Change & Air Quality

Climate change affects all of us - and we can all be part of the solution.

Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have compounded natural climate change by increasing carbon concentrations of certain gases (greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere, particularly carbondioxide. This legacy of emissions has produced an unprecedented rise in global average temperature over the past 100 years, with even greater and faster climate change predicted this century.

At present, just over 7 million tonnes of carbondioxide  is emitted globally each year through fossil fuel use, and an additional 1.6 billion tonnes are emitted by land use change, largely by deforestation. The concentrations of greehouse gases in the atmosphere has now reached levels unprecedented for tens of thousands of years.

The main human influence on global climate is emissions of the key greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. These are the gases that are covered by the Kyoto Protocol. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are also powerful greenhouse gases but they are being progressively phased out under the Montreal Protocol as they also damage the stratospheric ozone layer. They are part of a longer list of greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol.

Each greenhouse gas has a different capacity to cause global warming, depending on its radiative properties, its molecular weight and its lifetime in the atmosphere. Its so-called global warming potential (GWP) encapsulates these. The GWP is defined as the warming influence over a set time period of a gas relative to that of carbon dioxide. A 100-year time horizon is used in the Kyoto Protocol. When the warming effect of current greenhouse gas emissions over the next 100 years is calculated, the graph shows that carbon dioxide will be responsible for about two thirds of the expected future warming.

There are things we can do that help reduce poor air quality and reduce green house gases such as reducing our car use.

Information on what Maidstone can/are doing about climate change issues may be accessed here.

Further information on climate change may be accessed here.

Air Quality and Heavy Metals

The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) have been commissioned by the Department of Environment, Farming & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to carry out routine monitoring of air and rainwater around Britain for the presence of various heavy metals and other potential pollutants. The monitoring equipment is based at our rural Detling air quality monitoring site and we have been working with CEH to maintain equipment and gather data since 2004; (this data should shortly be available on the CEH website). Further information can be obtained on the CEH website.

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