C8.7 Opra
Opra provides an objective and consistent assessment of the environmental risk of operating a regulated facility. The assessment is based on five attributes, each of which is allocated one or more lettered bands. [A to E and A to F]. These bands provide a profile, known as the Opra banded profile, for each installation.
The five attributes are:
1. Complexity – the type of activities covered by your permit
This attribute looks at:
- What you do and what hazardous materials you have on site.
- What you release or could release into the environment.
- The work we need to do to assess and maintain your compliance and to maintain public confidence.
2. Emissions and inputs – permitted inputs to a facility and releases from it
This attribute looks at releases to:
- air
- water and/or
- land, and
- waste inputs.
3. Location – the condition of the environment around your facility.
This attribute looks at:
- How far your site is from where people live, work and play.
- How far your site is from areas that have been given legal protection.
- What surface and ground waters are near to you and if your site could flood.
- The potential for direct release to waters and what you have on site to stop it.
- If your site is in an area your local council is targeting to improve air quality.
4. Operator performance– your management systems and enforcement history.
This attribute has two parts:
- The management systems and procedures you have to help you manage your compliance with your permit.
- Recent formal enforcement action taken by regulatory bodies at your site.
5. Compliance rating – how well you comply with the conditions of your permit.
Using our Compliance Classification Scheme this attribute looks at:
- Non-compliance with your permit requirements.
- What could have happened to the environment because of non-compliance.
- Work we need to do to deal with your permit breaches.
The compliance rating is calculated for each calendar year, January to December.
Source: Environment Agency, Environmental Permitting Regulations Operational Risk Appraisal Scheme (Opra for EPR) version 3.4 April 2009
© Environment Agency
Further information is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/operational-risk-appraisal-opra