6 Dust and Air Pollution

6.1 Objective

6.1.1 To carry out the works in such a way that emissions of dust and other pollutants including odour are limited and that best practicable means are employed to avoid the creation of a statutory nuisance and risks to human health and to avoid unnecessary impacts on sensitive habitats .

6.2 Dust and Air Pollution

6.2.1 A number of construction activities may give rise to dust and air pollution, including:

pollution caused by construction vehicles;
transportation and storage of materials;
use of haul routes;
demolition activities;
excavations and earthworks construction;
drilling, blasting and grouting works;
processing and crushing rock for reuse in the works; and
operation of the construction site or undertaking construction activities which results in odours being generated from, for example, smoke, fumes or gases.

6.2.2 Dust and air pollution, including odours, can cause nuisance affecting properties and the public adjacent to a construction site and can also adversely affect other environmental receptors including watercourses and ecological receptors. In addition there are statutory objectives in relation to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM10) which have known health impacts.

6.2.3 Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 defines a number of factors relating to dust and air pollution which constitute a statutory nuisance. This includes:

smoke emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance;
fumes or gases emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance;
any dust, steam, smell or other effluvia arising on industrial, trade or business premises and being prejudicial to health or a nuisance; and
any accumulation or deposit which is prejudicial to health or a nuisance.

6.2.4 The contractor has an obligation under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to use best practicable means to prevent or counteract the effects of any nuisance. The contractor will use best practicable means in this regard, including preparing and implementing a Dust and Air Pollution Management Plan to set out the controls to be implemented to limit dust and air pollution due to the works.

6.2.5 Section 6.3 of this CoCP sets out measures to be covered in the Dust and Air Pollution Management Plan to prevent or counteract the effects of nuisance caused by dust and air pollution.

6.2.6 The contractor will comply with the appropriate authorisation procedures for any plant requiring a permit under The Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000, for example, for mobile crushing or concrete batching plant.

6.3 Dust and Air Pollution Management Plan

6.3.1 As explained in Section 1.7 of this CoCP, the contractor’s EMP will include a Dust and Air Pollution Management Plan which will describe the dust and air pollution control measures to be used during the construction works. The Dust and Air Pollution Management Plan will include the following as appropriate:

Reference to the general site management procedures contained in the Area Management Plan (see Section 3 of this CoCP) relevant to limiting dust and air pollution.
Controls and measures to be implemented to prevent or counteract the effects of nuisance caused by construction works, including those factors listed in Section 6.2 of this CoCP and to avoid significant adverse effects of emissions of NO2 and PM10 in relation to compliance with local air quality objectives in the Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000 and Air Quality (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2002.
Dust and air pollution monitoring measures to be employed during construction of the Project.

6.4 Site Management

6.4.1 Obligations for the contractor in relation to using best practicable means to prevent or counteract the effects of any nuisance are covered in Section 6.2.

6.4.2 The requirements of the Area Management Plan are set out in Section 3 of this CoCP. Matters to be covered in the Area Management Plan which are relevant with regard to limiting the potential for dust and air pollution impacts due to construction activities include those relating to:

smoking areas;
open fires;
waste;
rubbish;
fencing and hoardings;
food waste;
site accesses and accesses to site offices/compounds; and
clearance of the site.

6.4.3 The contractor will plan the site layout to locate machinery and dust-causing activities away from sensitive receptors, where reasonably practicable. The contractor will also use appropriate methods, such as the erection of hoardings or other barriers along the site boundary, where appropriate, to mitigate the spread of dust to any sensitive buildings or other environmental receptors.

6.5 Construction Plant and Vehicles

6.5.1 The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will describe the measures to be implemented to limit emissions from construction plant and vehicles, including the following, as appropriate:

The contractor will operate construction plant in accordance with the manufacturer’s written recommendations.
All vehicles and plant will be switched off when not in use.
Vehicle and construction plant exhausts should be directed away from the ground where possible and be positioned at a height to facilitate appropriate dispersal of exhaust emissions.
Enclosing, shielding or provision of filters on plant likely to generate excessive quantities of dust beyond the site boundaries will be employed. Items such as dust extractors, filters and collectors on drilling rigs and silos will be used.
The movement of construction traffic around the site will be kept to the minimum reasonable for the effective and efficient operation of the site and construction of the Project.
Construction plant will be located away from site boundaries which are close to sensitive receptors where reasonable and practicable.
The contractor will design site access points as required by Section 4.6 of this CoCP to avoid queuing traffic adjacent to access points. Parking of vehicles will be controlled in accordance with Section 4.6 of this CoCP.
The contractor will avoid use of diesel or petrol powered generators by using mains electricity or battery powered equipment where reasonable and practicable.
All non-road mobile machinery will use ultra low sulphur tax-exempt diesel where available. Machinery with power outputs of over 37kW will be fitted with appropriate exhaust after-treatment from approved Energy Saving Trust list (achieving filtration efficiency of over 85%).
Cutting and grinding operations will be conducted using equipment and techniques which reduce emissions and incorporate appropriate dust suppression measures.
The contractor will employ appropriate measures to keep roads and accesses clean, as required in accordance with Sections 3.5 and 4.6 of this CoCP.
The contractor will keep vehicle, plant and equipment maintenance records on site and these will be made available to the Employer’s Representative upon request.

6.6 Transportation, Storage and Handling of Materials

6.6.1 The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will describe the measures to be implemented to limit pollution due to the transportation and storage of materials, including the following, as appropriate:

The contractor will employ appropriate measures, such as covering materials deliveries or loads entering and leaving the construction site by a fixed cover or sheeting appropriately fixed and suitable for the purposes of preventing materials and dust spillage. This will apply to the transport of materials by road, rail or waterway.
Vehicles transporting materials within or outside the construction site will not to be overloaded.
Where appropriate stockpiles and mounds will be kept away from the site boundary, sensitive receptors, watercourses and surface drains and sited to take into account the predominant wind direction.
Stockpiles and mounds will be at a suitable angle of repose and avoid sharp changes in shape to prevent material slippage.
Materials stockpiles will be enclosed or securely sheeted or kept watered by the contractor, as appropriate.
The contractor will cover long-term stockpiles, which give rise to a risk of dust or air pollution, with appropriate sheeting or will stabilise the surfaces of the stockpiles.
Where reasonably practicable, and where appropriate storage in line with the requirements for covering materials set out above is not implemented, fine dry material (under 3mm particle size) will be stored inside buildings or enclosures.
Mixing of large quantities of concrete or bentonite slurries will be undertaken in enclosed or shielded areas.
The number of handling operations for materials will be kept to the minimum practicable.
The contractor will maintain materials handling areas to constrain dust emissions. The contractor will use appropriate measures such as watering facilities to reduce or prevent escape of dust from the site boundaries.
Mixing of grout or cement-based materials will be undertaken using a process suitable for the prevention of dust emissions.

6.7 Haul Routes

6.7.1 As explained in Section 4.6 of this CoCP, the contractor will provide haul routes through the works for use by construction vehicles to minimise the need to use public roads.

6.7.2 The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will describe the measures to be implemented to construct and maintain haul routes, including the following, as appropriate:

The contractor will agree haul routes with the Employer’s Representative prior to their construction and use and will advise the Employer’s Representative of the intended level of trafficking for haul routes. The surfacing of haul routes will be appropriate to avoid dust emissions as far as practicable, taking into account the intended level of trafficking.
When in use, the contractor will maintain the surface of haul routes in a condition appropriate to the surface material and for the purposes of suppressing dust emissions.
The contractor will inspect haul routes regularly and promptly repair haul routes if required.
Where reasonable, the contractor will reuse haul route surfacing materials where the locations of haul routes change during the course of construction.
The contractor will provide areas of hard-standing at site access and egress points to be used by any waiting vehicles.
The contractor will use appropriate methods to clean and suppress dust on haul routes and in designated vehicle waiting areas. The frequency of cleaning will be suitable for the purposes of suppressing dust emissions from the site boundaries.
The contractor will impose and enforce appropriate speed limits on haul roads for safety reasons and for the purposes of suppressing dust emissions.

6.8 Demolition Activities

6.8.1 The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will describe the measures to limit dust pollution from demolition activities, including the following, as appropriate:

Blasting works will be kept to the minimum practicable taking consideration of the requirements of the design and programme requirements of the Project. See also Section 5.2 of this CoCP.
The contractor will spray any buildings or structures to be demolished with water as necessary, prior to and during demolition.
Appropriate screening of buildings or structures to be demolished will be used.
Waste chutes will be shielded and skips covered and secured.
Where reasonable, the contractor will avoid prolonged storage of waste materials on site. Storage of any waste materials on site will comply with the requirements of this CoCP relating to storage of materials.
Removal of waste from the site will comply with the requirements of this CoCP relating to the transportation of materials.

6.9 Excavations and Earthworks Activities

6.9.1 The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will describe the measures to limit dust pollution from excavations and earthworks activities, including the following, as appropriate:

Topsoil will be stripped as close as reasonably practicable to the period of excavation or other earthworks activities to avoid risks associated with run-off or dust generation.
Drop heights from excavators to vehicles involved in the transport of excavated material will be kept to the minimum practicable to control dust generation associated with the fall of materials.
The contractor will use appropriate methods to suppress dust emissions.
The contractor will compact deposited materials, with the exception of topsoil, as soon as possible after deposition.
Soiling, seeding, planting or sealing of completed earthworks will be undertaken by the contractor as soon as reasonably practicable following completion of the earthworks.

6.10 Drilling, Blasting and Grouting Activities

6.10.1 The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will describe the measures to limit dust pollution associated with drilling, blasting and grouting activities, including the following, as appropriate:

Blasting works will be kept to the minimum practicable taking consideration of the requirements of the design and programme requirements of the Project.
Measures such as enclosing, shielding or provision of filters on plant likely to generate excessive quantities of dust beyond the site boundaries will be employed. Items such as dust extractors, filters and collectors on drilling rigs and silos will be used, as appropriate.
Where appropriate dust will be extracted at source to prevent exposure of workers to excessive dust inhalation.
Where drilling and blasting is used for the purposes of excavating within rock, the exposed surfaces will be watered to limit dust emissions as necessary.
Materials used for grouting, such as cements or pulverised fuel ash, will be stored in accordance with the requirements of this CoCP for materials storage to prevent them becoming an airborne hazard.
Mixing of grout or cement based materials will be undertaken using a process suitable for the prevention, as far as reasonably practicable, of dust emissions.
The contractor will implement appropriate measures to comply with Scottish Development Department Planning Advice Note 50 [PAN 50] Annex D The Control of Blasting at Surface Mineral Workings.

6.11 Processing, Crushing, Cutting and Grinding Activities

6.11.1 The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will describe the measures to limit dust pollution associated with processing and crushing rock for use as aggregate or other materials within the works, including the following, as appropriate:

The contractor will comply with the requirements of this CoCP relating to construction plant, transportation and storage of materials.
Drop heights from excavators to crushing plant, and from crushing plant to stockpiles will be kept to the minimum practicable to control dust generation associated with the fall of materials.

6.11.2 Appropriate measures will be used for any processing, crushing, cutting and grinding activities as required to limit dust pollution.

6.12 Monitoring

6.12.1 The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will describe the inspection and monitoring procedures to be implemented to monitor the effectiveness of measures to prevent dust and air pollutant emissions and to avoid detrimental effects on the health of workers due to exposure to dust and air pollution. The Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will also describe the measures to be implemented to counteract the effects of nuisance caused by dust and air pollution.

6.12.2 The contractor will consult with the relevant local authorities regarding the monitoring procedures to be implemented. Monitoring procedures will include the following, as appropriate:

Reference to the Area Management Plan (see Section 3 of this CoCP) with regard to site inspections covering the establishment of operation of the construction site.
Inspection procedures for areas adjacent to the construction site to monitor any dust and air pollution which may be generated despite the use of best practicable means to prevent dust and air quality emissions.
Reference to inspection and maintenance schedules for construction vehicles, plant and machinery.
Inspection procedures relating to the level of trafficking, use and condition of haul routes.

6.13 References

BS 6187:2000 Code of Practice for Demolition, British Standards Institution
Clean Air Act 1993
Environmental Protection Act 1990, as amended
GLA and London Councils (2006) Best Practice Guidance: The control of dust and emissions from construction and demolition
Planning Advice Note 50 [PAN 50] Annex D ‘The Control of Blasting at Surface Mineral Workings’
Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999
Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000, as amended
Process Guidance Note PG 3/1 (04) Secretary of State’s Guidance for Blending, Packing, Loading, Unloading and Use of Bulk Cement, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2004
Process Guidance Note PG 3/16 (04) Secretary of State’s Guidance for Mobile Crushing and Screening
The Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000, as amended
The Air Quality (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2002
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, as amended
The Non-Road Mobile Machinery (Emissions of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants) (Amendment) Regulations 1999, as amended