S.I. No. 132/1997 - Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 (Ozone) Regulations, 1997

1. the conformity of the operating characteristics of the measurement instrument with those indicated by the manufacturer, in particular background noise, response time and linearity, must be verified initially in the laboratory and the field

2. The annual reference period will begin on 1 January for each year.

3. The median must be calculated as the 50th percentile.

4. The percentiles shall be valid only where at least 75 per cent of the possible values are available and, as far as possible, are distributed throughout the period in question for the particular measurement site.

5. Percentiles are determined by

(i) Listing all valid measured values, during the appropriate reference period for an individual monitoring station, in increasing order of magnitude as follows

V

1

, V

2

, V

3

.V

k

,.V

n-I

V

n

where V = discrete measured values

V

k

= the value of the percentile required

k = the point in the series of values (1, 2, 3.k.n) where the required percentile lies.

n = the total number of valid values in the series

(ii) determining the value of k by

—multiplying n by 0.5 in the case of 50th percentile

—multiplying n by 0.98 in the case of 98th percentile

and rounding the result to the nearest whole number

(iii) establishing the value of V at the point k in the series of values, i.e., the percentile value required. This value, if necessary, should be rounded off to the nearest whole number.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment,

this 26th day of March, 1997.

BRENDAN HOWLIN,

Minister for the Environment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations transpose Directive 92/72/EEC on air pollution by ozone into Irish law. The Regulations lay down provisions in relation to tropospheric ozone and assign functions to the Environmental Protection Agency in relation to the measurement of tropospheric ozone concentrations and the provision of information to the public (with the assistance of Met Éireann) in the event of the population information or population warning thresholds being exceeded.

6. sampling must not be influenced by adjoining installations (air-conditioning or data-transmission equipment)

7. the sampling line must be of inert material (e.g. glass, PTEF, stainless steel) which is not affected by the presence of ozone. It must be exposed to appropriate ozone concentrations prior to its use for monitoring;

8. the sampling line between the sampling head and the analysis instrument must be as short as possible (e.g. giving residence times of the order of a few seconds in the presence of other reagents such as NO);

9. condensation of the sampling line must be avoided;

10. the sampling line must be cleaned regularly, taking local conditions into account

11. the sampling line must be tight and the flow rate must be inspected regularly;

12. sampling must not be influenced by gas discharges from the instrument or from the calibration system;

13. all necessary pre-cautions must be taken to pre-vent temperature variations producing measurement errors.

THIRD SCHEDULE

Public information

Whenever the population information threshold of 180ug/m

3

or the population warning threshold of 360ug/m

3

for mean value over 1 hour is exceeded the Agency shall, with the assistance of Met Éireann, cause to be circulated sufficiently widely, including to the media, and as soon as possible, the following—

(i) information on which threshold was exceeded and the place and time of occurrence,

(ii) a forecast indicating the expected change in concentrations in a specified geographical area and over a specified period.

The circulated information shall include advice to the elderly, children and those with respiratory problems as to the appropriate pre-cautionary measures to be taken.

Associated information shall be provided by way of press notices, telephone helplines, teletext services and/or other services as the Agency considers effective in providing public information on air pollution by ozone.

FOURTH SCHEDULE

Reports to the European Commission

The Agency must inform the Commission of—

(i) the method used to determine ozone concentrations and, if it is different to the reference method specified in the Second Schedule, provide proof of its equivalence with the latter.

(ii) the geographical co-ordinates of the measuring stations, a description of the area covered by the stations, and the site-selection criteria.

(iii) the results of any indicative measurement programmes carried out under the provisions of paragraph 1.2. of the First Schedule to these Regulations.

Not later than 6 months following the annual reference period the Agency shall supply to the European Commission on an annual basis—

(i) the maximum, the median and the 98 percentile of the mean values over one hour and eight hours recorded during the year in each measuring station,

(ii) the number, date and duration of periods during which the threshold laid down in subparagraphs 1.1. (i) and (i

i

) of the First Schedule to these Regulations are exceeded.

In any case where the public information threshold or the population warning threshold laid down in subparagraphs 1.1. (iii

)

and (iv) of the First Schedule to these Regulations is exceeded, the Agency shall inform the European Commission not later than the end of the following month of—

(i) the date of each such occurrence or occurrences

(ii) the duration of each such occurrence

(iii) the maximum hourly concentration recorded during each such occurrence

(iv) where available, possible explanation for the occurrences.

FIFTH SCHEDULE

Method for calculating the measurement results for the annual reference period

1.1. Values shall be expressed in microgrammes of ozone per cubic metre of air (ug/m

3

).

1.2. The volume must be standardised at a temperature of 293°K and pressure of 101.3kPa.

1.3. Concentrations must be measured continuously.

S.I. No. 132 of 1997.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ACT, 1992 (OZONE) REGULATIONS, 1997

The Minister for the Environment, having consulted the Environmental Protection Agency, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by

sections 6

and

53

of the

Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992

(Number 7 of 1992) and for the purpose of giving effect to Council Directive 92/72/EEC

1

on air pollution by ozone, hereby makes the following Regulations.

1

O.J. No. L297/1 of 13 October 1992.