Defra to clamp down on diesel generator emissions

The government is “looking actively” at ways to limit harmful pollutants emitted from diesel generators, Defra’s Harriet Wallace has suggested.

Speaking at a Westminster Forum event in London yesterday (May 17), Ms Wallace, deputy director of Air Quality and Industrial Emissions at Defra, outlined what the department is doing to improve UK air quality.

Defra hopes to impose limits on NOx emissions from smaller diesel generators no later than 2019

The event saw a number of air quality experts come together from across government and industry to ‘policy priorities, best practice and industry engagement’ (see airqualitynews.com story).

Ms Wallace suggested that smaller diesel generators — a combination of diesel engine and electric generators which are often used as a power-supply back up — are currently exempt from NOx regulations.

She said: “We are looking actively at NOx emissions from diesel generators. One issue that has come to our attention is that smaller ones are exempt from emissions regulations. Defra will consult on new measures and we want to get legislation into effect no later than January 2019.”

Cities

The deputy director went on to highlight a number of other areas where the government was striving to improve air quality.

She claimed that over £2 billion had been invested in cleaner vehicles since 2011 and that the department was focussing on air quality action in six cities: London, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby, Birmingham and Southampton.

But delegates appeared disappointed with Defra’s response — with one audience member comparing its reaction to “prescribing paracetamol for a brain tumour”. Others queried a “lack of transparency on available data” on emissions across the UK.

Attempting to reassure delegates, Ms Wallace added: “There has been a significant reduction on NO2 emissions since 2010. The government is really committed to making progress on this, but we also need to coordinate action with a range of players.”

Referendum

Earlier in the morning session, delegates had also raised the spectre of the EU Referendum — and whether speakers felt air quality progress could be jeopardised by a vote to leave.

Responding to the question, Kate Harrison, solicitor and partner at Harrison Grant, said: “Air pollution represents a nightmare of disentanglement if we voted to leave.

“I think one day we will look back at people who live in houses next to roads congested by cars and think how completely uncivilised it all was. We risk going backwards.”