CRC evidence packs

You must keep records to validate any information you have submitted about your organisation, energy supplies and use. You should keep this in an evidence pack that the regulators can examine during an audit.

You also need to carry out your own internal audit of your records at least once a year. Your evidence pack must include an audit certificate signed by a senior officer.

There is no prescribed format for an evidence pack but you can use the tools the Environment Agency has provided to develop yours. These include workbook calculators, tables, checklists and templates.

Appendix K of ‘CRC guidance for participants in phase 2’ will help you develop your evidence pack.

CRC: enforcement and penalties for non-compliance

Our approach to CRC enforcement is explained in annex 2, section C of our Enforcement and Sanctions policy.

The Environment Agency can issue civil penalties to organisations that don’t comply with the CRC obligations by the deadlines set. It can also publish the name of the organisation receiving the civil penalty, details of the failure and the penalty amount.

You could incur civil penalties if you don’t:

• register
• disclose information on registration
• submit an annual report on time
• provide accurate information or notifications (in relation to registration or designated change)
• provide an accurate annual report
• surrender allowances
• maintain an evidence pack

CRC non-compliance: details of civil penalties issued

Details of penalties are usually published for one year, or longer if justified by the seriousness of the failure.

CRC audits

Your regulator may carry out an audit to check you are keeping sufficient records in your evidence pack and reporting your emissions accurately.

The regulator will either carry out the audit itself or use trained and approved contractors.

Organisations are selected for audit based on:

• risk of non-compliance
• complexity of organisational structure
• compliance history

If you are selected for audit, your primary and secondary contact will receive an email requesting to arrange a mutually convenient time to hold a teleconference or meeting with you.

You may be asked to provide information prior to this, including:

• a summary of your evidence pack
• details of your energy usage
• a copy of your most recent audit report

CRC: help and guidance

‘CRC guidance for participants in phase 2’ provides more information about creating an evidence pack and audits.

The ‘Compliance audit need to know guide’ and ‘Preparing for the compliance audit’ will help you prepare if you are selected for an audit.

Email the Environment Agency CRC helpdesk CRCHelp@environment-agency.gov.uk

Call 03708 506506

Find out about call charges

Use the links below to access the public register for:

• Electronic Public Register homepage
• environmental permits for waste operations
• environmental permits for end of life vehicle authorised treatment facilities
• environmental permits for industrial installations
• environmental permits for discharge consents to water and groundwater
• environmental permits for radioactive substances
• waste carriers, brokers and dealers
• waste exemptions
• water quality exemptions
• scrap metal dealers
• enforcement actions

Waste carrier, dealer and broker licences

From 1 April 2016 for all waste carriers, dealers and brokers registration, please use the Waste Carriers register

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

The Environment Agency hold the registers for WEEE:

• EEE producers
• WEEE approved producer compliance schemes
• WEEE approved authorised treatment facilities and approved exporters

Packaging and batteries

We have public register information on the National Packaging Waste Database.

Large raised reservoirs

We also have public register information for the register of large raised reservoirs.

Viewing public registers in Environment Agency offices

The Environment Agency holds public register information in its local offices, either electronically or hardcopy. You can contact them using the Customer Contact Centre general enquiries details if you can’t access the information you need online.

They will confirm if the information you want is available and where you can visit to access it. They can also advise if any information can be sent to you.

This explains how the Environment Agency is working with Octagon Green Solutions Ltd, operators of Blaydon Quarry landfill, to reduce odour coming from the waste site. Also included is a list of which organisation is responsible for regulating the various issues which could arise during landfill site operations.

If your company needs to comply with these laws you will need a permission from us to operate. This permission usually comes in the form of a permit, which usually requires you to monitor your emissions.

Businesses either monitor their emissions all the time, known as continuous monitoring, or at times defined in their permit, known as spot tests or periodic monitoring. In both cases they must meet our quality requirements.

MCERTS is the Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certification Scheme. It provides the framework for businesses to meet our quality requirements. If you comply with MCERTS we can have confidence in the monitoring of emissions to the environment.

MCERTS is used to approve instruments, people and laboratories.

Find an MCERTS accredited laboratory

Find a list of MCERTS certified instruments and products

Download the Method Implementation Documents (MIDs) for stack emission monitoring

Changes to EPR guidance

The Environment Agency is currently updating EPR guidance to meet Smarter guidance and Government digital service requirements. Some of the generic guidance documents referred to in these technical guides have been withdrawn and replaced with new versions.

These sector technical guides are still current and how the Environment Agency regulates you and your legal requirements have not changed.

Changes to generic guidance documents are as follows:

• the generic How to comply with your environmental permit has been withdrawn and replaced with new guides about developing a management system and controlling and monitoring emissions
• H1 risk assessment overview guidance and related annexes have been withdrawn and replaced with a new risk assessment overview guide with supporting specialist risk assessment guides

You need to read these generic guides in addition to your sector technical guidance.

Paper, pulp and cardboard manufacturing

See the BREF technical guidance for paper, pulp and cardboard manufacturing.

Combustion activities

See the BREF technical guidance for large combustion plants.