MCerts Focus iii
MCERTS - The Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certification Scheme
MCERTS is the Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certification Scheme for equipment, personnel and organisations. It provides a delivery vehicle for compliance with European Directives which regulate industrial emissions, monitoring data, equipment and personnel. The scheme is built around proven International and European standards to ensure monitoring data is of a high standard. Sira Certification Service (Sira) is the MCERTS certification body and provides certification of equipment, personnel and inspection services. Sira is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) according to the ISO/IEC 17000 series of conformity assessment standards. UKAS accreditation provides confidence in the impartiality, competence and consistency of the certifications provided by Sira.
MCERTS provides
confidence in the quality of operator self-monitoring required by the EA.
MCERTS promotes public confidence in monitoring data, equipment and personnel and provides a framework for choosing monitoring equipment and services that meet the Environment Agency’s specifications.
The Environment Agency
The Environment Agency (EA) was established in 1996 and is responsible for protecting and improving the environment of England. It is a “licensing authority” and issues Environmental Permits to industrial process operators which specify emission limits and monitoring requirements. It is also a “regulatory authority” with power to regulate and prosecute process operators who fail to comply with the requirements of their Environmental Permits.
Background
Sira Certification Service 12 Acorn Industrial Park Crayford Road
Crayford, Dartford Kent. DA1 4AL
Tel: 01322 520500
Email:
mcerts@siracertification.com Web:
www.siracertification.com/mcerts
Environment Agency Releases Monitoring Industry Regulation PO Box 519
Preston. PR5 8GD Tel: 01772 714362
email: paul.wiggins@environment-
agency.gov.uk
web:
www.mcerts.net
The EA relies heavily on operator self-monitoring and on the use of continuous monitoring and sampling systems. Operator self- monitoring is well established for industrial processes regulated under the various regulations covering (for example) large combustion plant, waste incineration and waste water treatment.
MCERTS provides confidence in the quality of operator self-monitoring required by the EA. When industrial process operators demonstrate that their monitoring equipment and personnel have been certified according to MCERTS standards, the EA and the public can be confident that the resulting monitoring data is accurate and reliable.
MCERTS was developed to assist industrial process operators in selecting suitable monitoring equipment, personnel and services. Manufacturers of monitoring equipment required an independent, authoritative endorsement of their products, facilitating access to international markets. Providers of monitoring services (particularly laboratories engaged in manual stack emission monitoring) required an endorsement scheme to demonstrate their credibility and adherence to established monitoring methods and standards.
Benefits of the MCERTS scheme
There are numerous benefits to the regulator (EA), the regulated (industrial process operators), equipment manufacturers and to the providers of monitoring services.
Benefits can be summarised as follows:
• MCERTS is an accredited certification scheme recognised Internationally
• MCERTS provides a delivery vehicle for compliance with European Directives
• MCERTS provides assurance to the EA that monitoring equipment, personnel and services are fit for purpose and capable of delivering results of the required quality and reliability
• MCERTS provides confidence to users of monitoring equipment, personnel and services that they are robust and comply with the EA requirements
• MCERTS facilitates the delivery of accurate, reliable monitoring data to the public
• MCERTS provides a framework for the certification of other aspects of compliance monitoring as requirements evolve over time
Scope of the MCERTS scheme
In 1996, when the EA was formed, the initial focus of MCERTS was the performance certification of Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMs) for industrial chimney stacks. This was quickly followed by a scheme for the certification of personnel competence for those involved in manual (periodic) stack emission monitoring. In 2003 performance standards for Continuous Water Monitoring Systems were published, followed by the Self Monitoring of Effluent Flow scheme in 2004 and the performance standard for Environmental Data Management Software in 2008.
Product Certification of Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems
The first MCERTS performance standard for CEMs was published in 1998. The standard includes extractive stack emissions monitoring systems and cross-stack or in situ emissions monitoring systems.
Typical species include SO2, NOX, CO, O2, HCl, VOC, TOC, O2, H2O and particulates. Instruments monitoring stack temperature, pressure and mass flow are also included. The MCERTS standard for CEMS is now aligned with the European Standard EN15267-3.
The measurement range for each species depends on the intended industrial process application. The certification range is agreed in advance.
www.envirotech-online.com IET September / October 2013
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