Environmental Quality Standards Regulations, 1999

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT ACT, 1994. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY STANDARDS REGULATIONS, 1999. IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred on the Council by sections 28(2) and 63(1) of the National Environment Management Act, 1994 and on the recommendation of the Agency these Regulations are hereby made. Citation 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Environmental Quality Standards Regulations, 1999. Establishment of Environmental Quality Standards Board 2. (1)There is hereby established a Board to be known as the Environment Quality Standards Board which shall consist of (a) the Executive Director of the Agency; (b) the Principal Public Health Officer of the Department of State for Health; (c) the Environment Quality Programme officer I; (d) the Registrar of Pesticides and Hazardous Chemicals; (e) a chemist and a biologist from the Department of Water Resources; (f) a representative of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry; (g) a technical representative from industry. (h) the legal adviser to the Agency; and (i) a representative of the Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment. (2) The Executive Director of the Agency shall be the Chairman of the Board and in his absence the Deputy Executive Director or his delegate shall be chairman. (3) The Environmental Quality Programme Officer I shall be the Secretary to the Board. Functions 3. The functions of the Board shall be (a) to propose environmental quality standards to the Council and to review same periodically; and (b) to carry out any other functions that may be delegated to it by the council. Meetings 4. (1) The Board shall meet at least twice a year. (2) The quorum at all meetings of the Board shall be seven. Environmental Quality Standards 5. (1) The environmental quality standards set out in schedule I shall apply in respect of ambient air, saline waters, surface fresh waters and groundwater. (2) The Agency shall ensure that the standards set out in Schedule I are maintained and shall take appropriate measures to ensure same. Environmental Monitoring 6. (1) The Agency shall monitor the standards set out in schedule I in accordance with the parameters and techniques set out in schedule II. (2) In monitoring the standards in accordance with subsection (1) the Agency shall make use of an appropriate laboratory or other institution having the required analytical capability. (3) The results of ambient environmental monitoring shall be made available to the Public on payment of a prescribed fee (4) Notwithstanding sub-regulation (3), a summary of the results of ambient environmental monitoring shall be provided in the National State of the Environment Report. SCHEDULE I Air Quality Standards Parameter Averaging Period Air Quality Standard (Phase 1) SO2 24hr 125 µgm-3 Year 50 µgm-3 PM10 24hr 50 µgm-3 NO2 Year 40 µgm-3 Lead Year 1µgm-3 Water Quality Standards for Saline Waters Parameter Standard Physico-chemical Parameters Dissolved Oxygen pH BOD COD >6 mg/l 6.5 to 8.5 <5 mg Oxygen/l <10 mg Oxygen/l Anions Nitrate Nitrite 6 mg/l (as nitrogen) 0.2 mg/l (as nitrogen) Microbiological Parameters Total coliforms Faecal coliforms 1000 per 100 ml 300 per 100 ml Water Quality Standards for Surface Fresh Waters and Groundwater Parameter Surface Water Standard Groundwater Standard Physico-chemical parameters Dissolved Oxygen pH EC Turbidity Hardness BOD COD >6 mg/l 6.5 to 8.5 1300 µS/cm <5 Nephelometric units 200mg/l (as calcium carbonate) <5 mg Oxygen/l <10 mg Oxygen/l n/a 5.5 to 8.5 1300 µS/cm <5 Nephelometric units 200mg/l (as calcium carbonate) <5 mg Oxygen/l <10 mg Oxygen/l Anions Nitrate Nitrite Chloride Sulphate Phosphate Fluoride 6 mg/l (as nitrogen) 0.03 mg/l (as nitrogen) 250 mg/l (as chloride) 25 mg/l (as sulphate) 0.4 mg/l (as phosphorus) n/a 10 mg/l (as nitrogen) 0.03 mg/l (as nitrogen) 25 mg/l (as chloride) 25 mg/l (as sulphate) 0.4 mg/l (as phosphorus) 1.5 mg/l Cations Iron Aluminium Manganese Ammonia Sodium Calcium Chromium Copper Mercury Cyanide Lead Magnesium Potassium 0.3 mg/l 0.2 mg/l 0.05 mg/l 0.5 mg/l (as nitrogen) 150 mg/l 250 mg/l 0.05 mg/l 3.0 mg/l 0.001 mg/l 0.05 mg/l 0.05 mg/l 30 mg/l 10 mg/l 0.3 mg/l 0.2 mg/l 0.05 mg/l 0.5 mg/l (as nitrogen) 150 mg/l 250 mg/l 0.05 mg/l 3.0 mg/l 0.001 mg/l 0.05 mg/l 0.05 mg/l 30 mg/l 10 mg/l Microbiological Parameters Total coliforms Faecal coliforms 1 to 10 per 100 ml 0 per 100 ml 1 to 10 per 100 ml 0 per 100 ml Pesticides Aldrin Dieldrin Endrin Isodrin Other individual substances Total not to exceed 10 ng/l 10 ng/l 5 ng/l 5 ng/l 0.1 µg/l 0.5 µg/l 10 ng/l 10 ng/l 5 ng/l 5 ng/l 0.1 µg/l 0.5 µg/l SCHEDULE II Parameters for Water Quality Monitoring Saline Waters Groundwa ter Surface Freshwater Location Tourist Beaches Offshore Fishing Villages Boreholes Landfills River Gambia Number of sampling points 5 5 5 55 10 10 Sampling frequency (per year) 12 4 2 2 2 4 Physico-chemical parameters Dissolved oxygen BOD COD pH Electrical conductivity Turbidity Oil film Salinity BOD COD pH Electrical conductivity Turbidity Hardness Dissolved oxygen BOD COD pH Electrical conductivity Turbidity Hardness Oil film Anions Nitrate Nitrite Sulphate Phosphate Nitrate Nitrite Sulphate Phosphate Chloride Fluoride Nitrate Nitrite Sulphate Phosphate Chloride Cations Manganese Ammonia Calcium Manganese Ammonia Calcium Sodium Aluminium Magnesium Potassium Iron Mercury* Copper* Cyanide* Chromium* Lead* Manganese Ammonia Calcium Sodium Aluminium Magnesium Potassium Microbial parameters Total coliforms Faecal coliforms Total coliforms Faecal coliforms Total coliforms Faecal coliforms Parameters and Techniques for Air Quality Monitoring Parameter Measurement Method Frequency Averaging Period Locations Fine particulates (PM10) HiVol daily sampler One day in Three Daily Two sites in Greater Banjul Area Lead (Pb) HiVol daily sampler Once per month Daily Two sites in Greater Banjul Area Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Diffusion tubes Continuous Monthly Ten sites in Greater Banjul Area * Parameter to be monitored at 10 borehole sites only. MADE THIS DAY OF 1999. CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL