Inspection frequency
Industrial companies and livestock farms with the potential to cause the most pollution, are investigated more frequently.
The statutory order on environmental inspection specifies the frequency at which industrial companies and livestock farms must be inspected.
There are currently approximately 45.000 industrial companies and livestock farms required to have regular inspection.
It should be noted that, although some companies are not required to have routine inspections (at regular time intervals), as defined by the statutory order, all types of industrial companies and livestock farms undergo inspections.
Inspection frequencies
Companies subject to approval, machinery workshops, medium combustion plants, and large livestock farms are required to have a basic inspection every three years, whilst other industrial companies, small livestock farms and some private properties with commercial animal husbandry receive a basic inspection every six years. A basic inspection must include a review of the overall environmental conditions in relation to the environmental inspection.
In addition, it may be required that the regulatory authority carries out prioritised inspections, in the years between the basic inspections. This depends on the outcome of the environmental risk assessment carried out by the authority on the company or farm. For the prioritised inspections, the authorities focus on a specific component of the inspection, for example, air pollution (e.g. smell, noise, and vibration), soil and groundwater pollution, or interior layout and operation etc.
The regulatory authority is further required to conduct inspection in line with current regulations, which includes inspection in the event of significant accident or complaints.
Before the inspection can be registered as completed the environmental authority must have responded to any infringements and submitted an inspection report to the company.
The Environmental Protection Agency has produced a guideline on the statutory order for environmental inspection (Bekendtgørelse om miljøtilsyn). More information on the frequency of inspections can be found in the guide (section 3.2). The guideline is available in Danish on the Danish Environmental Protection Agency website.
Notification for inspection
Written notification is given prior to inspection, which occurs at least 14 days before the inspection. In some situations, the authorities may choose to conduct an unannounced inspection.