The option that provides the most benefits or the least damage for the environment, as a whole, at acceptable cost, in the long term as well as the short term. (defined in the 12th report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution)
Best Practicable Environmental Option. The outcome of a systematic and consultative decision-making procedure which emphasises the protection and conservation of the environment across land, air and water.
Best Practicable Environmental Option. The Best Practicable Environmental Option procedure establishes the waste management option, or mix of options, that provides the most benefits or the least damage to the environment as a whole, at acceptable cost, in the long term as well as in the short term. It takes into account the total impact of a process and the technical possibilities for dealing with it.
Best practicable environmental option (GBR)
Best Practicable Environmental Option. There are many different ways of dealing with waste, and the BPEO is basically the waste management option that provides the most benefit or least damage to the environment as a whole, at an acceptable cost, in both the short and long term. For example, recycling versus landfill.
Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) was introduced by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to cover prescribed processes. Those within Part A are potentially the most polluting processes and are under Environment Agency Control with less polluting processes (Part B) covered by local authority air pollution control (LAAPC). Authorisations are required for carrying on IPC and LAAPC processes. Applicants must demonstrate that they apply Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Costs (BATNEEC) including technical means, training, and supervision and site construction, lay-out and maintenance. The Best Practical Environmental Option (BPEO) must also be observed in the case of releases from IPC processes. This criterion requires that the release be made on the basis of what is best for the environment as a whole.
