Sanitary and Environmental Pollution Control Act.

This Act is to ensure healthy living conditions for the people of Iceland and to protect the values of a healthy and uncontaminated environment. Furthermore, the objective of the Act is to prevent or reduce emissions into atmospheres, water and soils and prevent the formation of waste in order to protect the environment. The Act applies to any activities in Iceland, in the airspace, economic zone and vessels flying the flag of Iceland, which may or may affect the elements specified above to the extent that other laws do not apply to those activities. The Act grants ample regulation-making powers to the Minister and provides for license to be issued by the Environment Agency or Health Committees. The Agency shall establish monitoring requirements and determine the frequency of periodic maintenance and inspection of activities covered by operating licenses. The Act also provides, among other things, for green accounting, ecolabelling, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution values, protection of (ground)water, environmental surveillance areas, environment impact assessment, the Agency and municipal authorities and measures of enforcement.