BEIS OPRED has today (Friday 20th March) contacted its stakeholders by email.
A number of stakeholders have contacted OPRED to express concerns regarding compliance with permit conditions during the exceptional circumstances experienced as a direct result of the Covid-19 virus.
To minimise risk to personnel, a number of offshore work scopes are being postponed by operators, some of which will have direct impacts on compliance with permit conditions. An example of this would be an operator postponing samples being taken for compliance with EU ETS obligations.
It is essential that operators continue to uphold the high standards of safety and environmental protection required to operate in the UKCS. No changes have been made to the legislation applicable to these operations, and as such, operators continue to be bound by the requirements.
OPRED is mindful of the additional challenges that the Covid-19 virus has brought to the industry and recommends early engagement with OPRED staff if compliance concerns arise. Where possible, the department will discuss available variations or notifications that can be made to minimise the potential non-compliance associated with a Covid-19 impact.
Source: BEIS OPRED.