Air Quality
The Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 introduced a statutory obligation on councils to carry out a review and assessment of their local air quality known as local air quality management (LAQM).
Air Quality Review and Assessment
We monitor air pollution and forecast future levels to help ensure the UK meets national air quality objectives on time.
In Northern Ireland, the Air Quality Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 set these objectives and provide the legal basis for Local Air Quality Management (LAQM).
Pollutants covered include:
- Fine particles (PM10 and PM2.5)
- Nitrogen oxides
- Ozone
- Sulphur dioxide
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Benzene
- 1,2-butadiene
- Carbon monoxide
- Lead
- Ammonia
If an objective is unlikely to be met, we must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and produce an Action Plan.
Updating and Screening Assessment (USA)
We are required to publish one every three years. It reviews traffic volumes, new pollution sources and monitoring results against national objectives.
Monitoring and/or modelling is used to confirm whether an objective will be exceeded. If this is the case, we produce a detailed assessment. Any confirmed exceedance following the detailed assessment, we declare an AQMA.
After declaring an AQMA, we identify the main sources and produce an Action Plan to improve air quality and meet national objectives.
N.B In other years, we publish a progress report covering current air quality and local changes that could affect pollution.
Reports
Our review and assessment reports (including AQMAs) and monitoring information are on the Northern Ireland Air Quality website.