COMAH MATTE Assessments | EnviroSolution

Scope and evidence

Built around planning, development and compliance decisions.

Use this page to understand when the service is usually needed, what evidence is reviewed and what information helps us quote accurately.

Planning and regulator context
Clear deliverables and next steps
Linked services considered early

COMAH and MATTE work is driven by credible major-accident scenarios and the environmental receptors they could affect. The assessment should show how the consequence could occur and why it is or is not significant.

When this service is used

Used where major accident hazard installations, COMAH obligations or land-use planning consultations require environmental and safety evidence.

Planning and project supportUsed for major-hazard installations, regulatory submissions and land-use planning where major accident consequences require environmental consideration.

Risk and programme controlA structured scenario-and-receptor approach helps focus detailed assessment on credible consequences rather than producing a generic environmental description.

What the report normally includes

COMAH/MATTE scope review
Major accident hazard context summary
Environmental receptor considerations
Regulatory evidence pathway advice
Technical reporting support

What we need from you

Providing the right information at the start helps us confirm the scope, quote accurately and avoid back-and-forth once the work is underway.

Site/operator details
Activity/process summary
Existing permits or COMAH information
Regulator correspondence
Submission deadline

Major-accident environmental assessment needs a clear consequence pathway

Environmental risk assessment at a major industrial process site. — Environmental risk assessment supporting safe and compliant industrial operations.

What a robust scope should cover

Site activities, inventories and credible major-accident scenarios
Release pathways to land, surface water, groundwater and ecological receptors
Sensitivity and value of the potentially affected environment
Potential scale, duration and recoverability of environmental damage
Existing prevention, containment and emergency-response measures
Technical evidence supporting the regulatory conclusion

What the work should leave you with

A traceable link between accident scenario and environmental consequence
Identification of the receptors controlling the assessment
Evidence for prevention, mitigation or emergency-response decisions
A defensible technical narrative for regulatory review

Why the detail mattersThe strongest assessment is transparent about the scenario, pathway and receptor. That makes assumptions easier to challenge and controls easier to justify.

Useful to know before you enquire

Process information is essentialMaterial inventories, containment arrangements and credible accident scenarios are needed before environmental consequences can be assessed properly.

Drainage can control the pathwaySite drainage, interceptors, containment and emergency isolation can materially change whether a release reaches a sensitive receptor.

Existing permits may contain useful evidenceEnvironmental-permit information and monitoring data can reduce duplicated data gathering.

Regulator correspondence should be sharedWhere a competent authority has raised a specific question, the assessment should address it directly.

FAQ

Common questions

What is a MATTE assessment looking at?

It considers whether a credible major accident could cause serious environmental harm, taking account of the affected receptor, scale, duration and recovery characteristics.

What information is needed from the operator?

Process descriptions, hazardous inventories, accident scenarios, containment and drainage information, existing permits and relevant emergency arrangements are normally important.

Can this work link with environmental permitting?

Yes. Permit, emissions and site-management information can be relevant to both workstreams and should be coordinated where possible.

Related services

These services are often reviewed alongside COMAH MATTE Assessments depending on the site, planning context and proposed development.

Structured enquiry

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Submit site information, planning references and supporting documents once. We’ll review the scope and confirm what is required.

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