Classified installations for the protection of the environment (ICPEs): control

The purpose of legislation governing classified installations is not only to regulate the commissioning and operation of activities subject to the nomenclature of classified installations, but also to control them by the administrative authorities.

The inspection of a classified facility enables the administrative authority to determine whether or not the inspected facility complies with the regulatory requirements and technical specifications laid down by decree. Inspections are carried out by the Classified Installations Inspectorate, or, in the case of low-risk facilities, may be entrusted to organizations specifically authorized to carry out inspections within a perimeter pre-established by the authorities.

In the event of non-compliance by the operator, the administrative authority can issue a formal notice, issue a statement of offence and impose a range of administrative and penal sanctions to ensure proper operation. It can inspect the classified facility at any time, even if the operator himself monitors and declares his pollutant emissions and waste. All operating events are taken into account: incidents and accidents, changes in activity, changes of operator, neighborhood complaints, aging equipment, changes in town planning and the environment. Anticipating, monitoring, preventing and correcting are the watchwords of a responsible operator, for whom the control of his facilities punctuates operations and ensures the integration of the facility into its environment.