Scotland's environment
SEPA has a duty to monitor and report on the state of Scotland's
environment and to use that scientific understanding to inform our
independent regulation of activities that may affect its
quality. We publish a wide range of environmental information
and advise Ministers, partner bodies, regulated industry and the
public on environmental issues. All our environmental reports
and data can be accessed by following the links on the left hand
side.
Through our network of four chemistry and seven biology
laboratories, we conduct environmental testing and analysis to the
highest standards of scientific excellence. We have more than 2,500
m2 of lab space, £12m worth of scientific equipment
(excluding our hydrometric network), and a survey vessel with a
fleet of smaller craft and several field vehicles.
Sampling
We employ experts in many fields of science, including
hydrology, chemistry, ecology, algology, ecotoxicology,
hydromorphology, hydrogeology, and oceanography. Our scientists
analyse a wide range of samples collected from across Scotland's
air, land and water environments. We test for more than 500
individual chemical parameters and the levels of 2,000 plants and
animals in marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats. We also
conduct analyses of solid waste arisings and audit check analyses
of gaseous emissions to the atmosphere.
In a typical year, we collect around 50,000 samples and deliver
700,000 determinations in supporting SEPA's statutory monitoring
(EC directives) and its general duty to assess and report on
the state of Scotland's environment.
Monitoring
SEPA maintains and operates a network of 418 gauging stations
and 515 rain gauges and provides a national flood warning and
forecasting service. This allows us to provide detailed
sustainable flood management and planning advice. SEPA holds
over 30 years of hydrometric data for Scotland's rivers. These
data are invaluable in characterising the long-term pressures on
Scotland's environment, particularly in relation to the assessment
and management of the consequences of climate change.
Our testing, analysis and interpretation covers a wide range of
environments throughout Scotland, including contaminated land,
fresh and saline waters, soils and sediments, sewage and industrial
effluents, leachates, fauna and biota, and landfill gases.
SEPA operates a rigorous formal quality assurance system
for its monitoring and assessment functions and, through this,
delivers environmental measurements with a high level of robustness
and credibility. Our Quality Assurance system is compliant with
international standards ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 9001:2000, and ISO
14001, and is monitored and externally audited by UKAS and
LRQA. We are accredited for 328 tests and, in some
cases, have the only UKAS-accredited laboratory in the UK.
This section of our website contains our scientific reports and
technical papers and includes more detailed information on our
scientific operations.
Research
As an organisation established to protect and enhance Scotland’s
environment and protect human health, it is essential that SEPA has
a sound science and knowledge base. Such information helps us to
deliver best value in our powers and duties and to inform the
development of effective policies that contribute to better
regulation and the Scottish Government’s goal of sustainable
economic growth.
This means that we should implement environmental regulations in
ways that do not impose unnecessary burdens on those we regulate
and which are proportionate to the actual or potential harm to the
environment. Our mandate for research and development activity is
required by our founding legislation, The Environment Act 1995.
By continually improving our understanding and our
decision-making processes, responses and interventions we can
ensure that Scotland’s environmental capacity is managed
sustainably, and help to maintain the wealth of benefits that a
healthy and productive environment provides – including economic
and social well-being. We need to inform and advise a range of
stakeholders, with varied and sometimes conflicting interests, on
environmental and human health risks, uncertainties, options and
consequences.
To meet these needs we have to develop tools and techniques to
help assess and predict environmental change, risks and impacts. We
have to foster a culture of innovation and effective knowledge
exchange, to be proactive in influencing policy and to integrate a
wide range of socio-economic considerations, such as land-use and
business needs etc into our core activities of environmental
science and regulation.
We are in the process of updating our Research strategy
2008–2012 which defines our aims, needs and interests in research
and development. We define “research” as the discovery of
fundamental new knowledge and understanding and ”development” as
the process by which new knowledge and understanding is applied.
This strategy provides an overview of the principles we will apply
in fulfilling those aims, and focuses on the key themes and
priorities that will influence our research activity over the next
four years.
We will consider the awarding of occasional, small-scale
(generally less than £20 000) grants for scientific research
and development through our Research Advisory Panel (RAP). RAP
funds research projects that help deliver our Corporate Plan and
priorities identified in our research strategy (currently being
reviewed).
Every research project we carry out can be found on our website
at: www.sepa.org.uk/science_and_research/publications.aspx
SEPA’s guidance and standard terms and conditions for
small-scale scientific research and development grants can be
obtained on request by contacting environmental.strategy@sepa.org.uk