Miscellaneous Section 32: Safety zones
88.Sections 21, 23 and 24 of the Petroleum Act 1987 provide for the automatic establishment of safety zones around oil and gas installations and set out offences and the applicable penalties in connection with such safety zones. This section extends those provisions to installations used for carbon dioxide storage. Such safety zones are areas extending 500 metres around the installation, from which vessels are prevented from entering or remaining except in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State or a consent given by the Health and Safety Executive. The penalty for such an offence is a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (currently £5,000 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and £10,000 in Scotland) on summary conviction and, on conviction on indictment, imprisonment not exceeding two years or an unlimited fine, or both.