Classified installations for environmental protection (ICPE)

Overview

ABSTRACT

Classified installations for environmental protection can be operated or owned by any natural or legal person, public or private, and can present hazards or disadvantages. These installations and activities are listed in a nomenclature under a set of headings for hazardous substances and preparations, together with activities that may have a negative impact on health and the environment. This list contains two main categories: (i) a classification according to the type of substance used and (ii) a classification by activity. Each section gives a description of the activity and the threshold levels for which classification has been defined (declaration, declaration with periodic control, registration, authorization subject to obligations).

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AUTHOR

Ismahane EL BAHLOUL: IRCA Auditor - Head of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance, Veolia

INTRODUCTION

The ICPE nomenclature is a management tool that enables all facility operators, whatever their field of activity (health, industry, agri-food, etc.), to check whether their facilities are listed in this nomenclature, and thus to identify their regulatory obligations with regard to the operation of certain facilities considered as potentially hazardous or inconvenient.

Installations are classified according to a nomenclature:

headings 1000 and 4000: depending on the substances used;
headings 2000 and 3000: depending on the activities carried out.

Thresholds are set for each heading, and when they are exceeded, they trigger the application of specific regulatory requirements (standard ministerial decree or prefectoral decree).

The ICPE nomenclature is the reference document that classifies installations under the :

declaration (D), sometimes subject to periodic inspection (DC) under Article L. 512-11 of the Environmental Code (C) (see articles [G 1 017] and [G 4 230] );
of registration (E) (see article [G 4 240] );
or authorization (A), according to thresholds defined by decree (see article [G 1 018] ).