Hamdan bin Zayed issues a decision regarding reporting environmental data in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI, 8 April / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, issued Resolution No. (1) of 2024 regarding reporting environmental data, which aims to establish rules, requirements and regulations. To protect the environment from pollution, identify and monitor the types and quantities of discharges of pollutants to the environment, resulting from various facilities and projects, determine the extent of their commitment, and build a comprehensive and unified environmental database, to identify the locations of discharges to the environment, their quantities, and their contents.
The provisions of this decision apply to all establishments and projects operating in the emirate that are licensed by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, or those that are required by the Authority to comply with the provisions of this decision.
The Authority will monitor the implementation of this decision through its implementation and environmental audit procedures, and its comprehensive environmental monitoring programs in coordination with the concerned authorities.
The decision obligated the establishment and project whose activities result in discharges to the environment to prepare an environmental data reporting report and submit it to the Authority during the first quarter of each year, in accordance with the requirements determined by the Authority, provided that the report includes data on the quantities of energy and water consumption, and measurements showing the pollutants that were discharged into the environment. , in a manner that does not conflict with environmental licensing requirements.
The data that must be mentioned in the report includes the definition of the facility or project, the operational methodologies applied, and the operational processes, including the equipment, machinery and technology used in the project or facility, and the discharges resulting from the facility or project, with a statement of the maximum permissible limits for discharges and their comparison with the discharges resulting from the facility.
The data also includes the raw materials used, the materials produced, the discharge control mechanisms, devices and procedures, the measuring mechanisms used, the periodicity, the measuring sites, the results and accidents that accompanied the measuring operations, and the corrective actions.
According to the decision, the Authority will establish standards to determine the facilities or projects that must report their data and the discharges issued by them, develop mechanisms to measure the discharges issued by the facilities or projects, and determine the environmental data that must be reported, as well as joint work with the concerned authorities for the purpose of enabling the facilities or projects to Determine ways and means to limit discharges to the environment, identify approved laboratories and measurement mechanisms, and devices to be used, and prepare and issue guidelines and technical guides to be followed when conducting measurements and tests, in coordination with the concerned authorities.
Among the tasks assigned to the Authority, in accordance with the decision, is to determine the mechanisms through which the facility or project must report its data, which may include electronic systems, in addition to receiving and reviewing reporting reports, and ensuring that they are prepared in accordance with the requirements of this decision and its technical and technical guides that will be issued by the Authority.
The Authority will evaluate the facilities and projects based on the reports it receives from them, taking into account their individual and cumulative impact in different regions. The Authority will request the report submitter to submit a corrective implementation plan in the event that there is a deficiency in the data provided, or in the event that the report submitter does not comply with the requirements approved by the Authority. It must be prepared by an environmental consulting office accredited by the Authority.
The Authority will assign an environmental consulting office to carry out any examinations or measurements related to discharges to the environment, in the event of a complaint against the facility or project, or with the aim of ensuring the accuracy of the data sent to it.
The Authority will collect additional samples of discharges resulting from facilities or projects when needed, or by assigning a third party, or assigning a representative from among the strategic partners, and then analyzing them in accredited laboratories.
The decision stipulates that the Authority shall request the facility or project to carry out any additional tests or other measurements when needed, and analyze them in accredited laboratories, in addition to creating an integrated database on the facilities or projects and the discharges issued by them, and sending the data to the relevant authorities that regulate the procedures for issuing licenses. It supervises the process of monitoring licensed activities.
The Authority will periodically evaluate the efficiency of the corrective measures and the effectiveness of the implemented controls, in addition to launching awareness and educational workshops on reporting environmental data.
The establishments or projects are obligated, in accordance with the decision, to provide the devices and requirements specified by the Authority to facilitate the implementation of this decision, and to use monitoring techniques compatible with the requirements of the Authority and the concerned authorities, while training employees and workers on mechanisms for reporting environmental data, and submitting the environmental data reporting report according to the mechanism it determines. Authority, the requirements of this decision and its guidelines.
Establishments or projects must commit to keeping all documents and data related to data reporting for a period of no less than five years, in addition to coordinating with the Authority, the concerned authorities, laboratories, those assigned by the Authority, and service providers to facilitate the implementation of what is required, and to inform the Authority in the event of any defect that hinders the reporting process within a period of time. A maximum of three days from the occurrence of the defect.
The decision obligated the facility or project to develop and implement a plan to ensure and monitor quality, provided that the plan includes detailed instructions for all operational and corrective procedures.
The Authority may request the facility or project to appoint an accredited consulting office to verify the quality assurance plan and submit reports on the extent of its implementation and compliance with it.
The decision stipulates that the Authority has the right to impose one or more of the administrative penalties stipulated in Law No. (16) of 2005 regarding the reorganization of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, or any amendment thereto, in the event of a violation of any of the provisions of this decision, without prejudice to the penalties prescribed under Relevant legislation.
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