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Petroleum Vapours Register

Petroleum Vapours

If you are a Petrol Station owner/operator you are obliged to ensure that your facility is so designed and operated in accordance with the Third Schedule of Air Pollution Act 1987 – Petroleum Vapour Emissions Regulations and the European Union (Stage II Petrol Vapour Recovery during Refuelling of Motor Vehicles at Service Stations) Regulations 2011.

The objective of these regulations is to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the atmosphere from vehicle re-fueling activities at service stations, in order to reduce the adverse impact of VOC on human health and the environment.

Petrol contains VOC, carbon-based chemicals that evaporate readily into the atmosphere. Once emitted to air, VOC are associated with several health and environmental problems

  • Formation of ground-level ozone and photochemical smog
  • Poor local air quality (benzene in air)
  • Atmospheric warming and climate change

Under these regulations all petrol service stations must have installed a Stage 1 Petrol Vapour Recovery system in place.

To meet the requirements of the regulations a Service Station owner/operator is obliged to appoint an approved assessor who will carry out tests on their petrol station and submit a report and fee of €63.50 to Offaly County Council. If Offaly County Council is satisfied with the report it will issue a certificate of compliance with the above act. Certificates of compliance last a maximum of three years, and need renewal on expiry. A copy of certificate of compliance must be kept available for inspection at the relevant service station.