{"id":"environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001","name":"Environmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001","slug":"environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":176597,"registerId":"wa-environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Environmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nEnvironmental Protection Act 1986\n\nEnvironmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001\n\nWestern Australia\n\nEnvironmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001\n\nContents\n\n1. Citation 1\n\n2. Interpretation 1\n\n3. Application of regulations 2\n\n4. Spray painting booth to be used if possible 2\n\n5. Spray painting in the open 2\n\n6. Spray painting booth 2\n\n7. Powder coating booth to be used 3\n\n8. Powder coating booth 3\n\n9. No emission of visible dust or powder from premises 4\n\n10. Area in which chemical used or kept 4\n\n11. Disposal of liquid waste 4\n\n12. Disposal of solid waste 5\n\n13. Offences and penalties 5\n\n14. Amendment of the *Environmental Protection Regulations 1987* 5\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 6\n\nDefined terms\n\n  \n\nEnvironmental Protection Act 1986\n\nEnvironmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001\n\n##### 1. Citation\n\n\t\tThese regulations may be cited as the *Environmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001*.\n\n##### 2. Interpretation\n\nIn these regulations, unless the contrary intention appears —\n\nbund means a wall constructed of brick, stone, concrete, or other material approved in writing by the Chief Executive Officer to form the perimeter of a compound;\n\ncompound means an area of land enclosed by a bund;\n\ndust collection system means a device used to collect dust from a powder coating booth and the ducts used to transfer the dust to an air cleaning system;\n\nliquid waste means waste liquid from a metal coating process;\n\nmetal coating means a method used to coat metal products including spray painting, powder coating, and enamelling;\n\nmetal coating treatment tank means a tank in which an etchant or any other pre‑painting chemical is stored;\n\noperator means a person carrying on metal coating;\n\nover spray means paint, powder, or solvent that does not adhere to an object that is being coated or being cleaned for the purpose of being coated;\n\npowder coating means the coating of metal by the application of a thermosetting powder by means of electrostatic attraction;\n\npowder coating booth means a room or enclosure in which powder coating is done;\n\npremises, in relation to an operator, means the premises at which the operator carries on metal coating;\n\nsolid waste means a waste from a metal coating process that is not a liquid waste;\n\nspray painting booth means a room or enclosure in which spray painting is done.\n\n##### 3. Application of regulations\n\nThese regulations apply to metal coating premises described in Schedule 1 Part 2 category 81 of the *Environmental Protection Regulations 1987*.\n\n##### 4. Spray painting booth to be used if possible\n\nAn operator must carry on all spray painting in a spray painting booth unless such a booth cannot reasonably be used because of the size, shape, position, or location of the object being painted.\n\n##### 5. Spray painting in the open\n\nAn operator must not carry on spray painting other than in a spray painting booth unless it is carried on in such a manner that no paint over spray escapes from the premises at which the spray painting is carried on (or if there are no defined boundaries to the premises, no such paint over spray escapes onto any place to which the public has access).\n\n##### 6. Spray painting booth\n\nAn operator must ensure that a spray painting booth that he or she is using to carry on metal coating —\n\n(a) is designed, constructed, installed, and maintained in accordance with AS/NZS 4114.1 — *Spray painting booths*; and\n\n(b) is fitted with an efficient mechanical ventilation and dust extraction system which is operating so that —\n\n(i) no visible paint over spray escapes from the spray painting booth;\n\n(ii) all air from the spray painting booth passes through a ventilation and dust extraction system before being discharged into the environment; and\n\n(iii) air discharged into the environment does not contain any substance that causes pollution.\n\n##### 7. Powder coating booth to be used\n\nAn operator must carry on all powder coating in a powder coating booth.\n\n##### 8. Powder coating booth\n\nAn operator must ensure that a powder coating booth that he or she is using to carry on metal coating —\n\n(a) is designed, constructed, installed, and maintained in accordance with AS/NZS 3754 — 1990 — *Safe application of powder coatings by electrostatic spraying*; and\n\n(b) is fitted with an efficient mechanical ventilation and dust collection system which is operating so that —\n\n(i) no visible powder escapes from the powder coating booth;\n\n(ii) all air from the powder coating booth passes through a ventilation and dust collection system before being discharged into the environment; and\n\n(iii) air discharged into the environment from a powder coating booth does not contain any substance that causes pollution.\n\n##### 9. No emission of visible dust or powder from premises\n\nAn operator must ensure that no visible dust or powder escapes from the premises.\n\n##### 10. Area in which chemical used or kept\n\n(1) An operator must ensure that any area on premises in which a chemical that can cause pollution is used or kept is within a compound which —\n\n(a) has walls that are impervious to acid;\n\n(b) has a floor that is impervious to acid; and\n\n(c) is capable of holding —\n\n(i) 110% of the volume of the largest metal coating treatment tank or, if tanks are interconnected, 110% of the volume of the tanks in the interconnected system; and\n\n(ii) not less than 25% of the total volume of the tanks within the compound.\n\n(2) An operator must ensure —\n\n(a) that storm water does not enter the area on the premises where metal coating treatment tanks are located; and\n\n(b) that the area on the premises where metal coating treatment tanks are located is designed to ensure that a liquid is not capable of overflowing or discharging from the area.\n\n##### 11. Disposal of liquid waste\n\n(1) An operator must ensure that no liquid waste escapes from the premises.\n\n(2) An operator must not discharge liquid waste into the environment.\n\n##### 12. Disposal of solid waste\n\nAn operator must ensure that solid waste is disposed of at a landfill site or waste treatment facility licensed under Part V of the Act.\n\n##### 13. Offences and penalties\n\nA person who contravenes any of these regulations commits an offence.\n\nPenalty: $5 000.\n\n##### 14. Amendment of the *Environmental Protection Regulations 1987*\n\nSchedule 6 to the *Environmental Protection Regulations 1987* is amended after item 8 of the entry relating to the *Environmental Protection (Abattoirs) Regulations 2001* by inserting the following —\n\n“\n\n ***Environmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001***\n\n| 1. regulation 4 | 250 | 500 |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| 2. regulation 5 | 250 | 500 |\n| 3. regulation 6 | 250 | 500 |\n| 4. regulation 7 | 250 | 500 |\n| 5. regulation 8 | 250 | 500 |\n| 6. regulation 9 | 250 | 500 |\n| 7. regulation 10(1) | 250 | 500 |\n| 8. regulation 10(2) | 250 | 500 |\n| 9. regulation 11(1) | 250 | 500 |\n| 10. regulation 11(2) | 250 | 500 |\n| 11. regulation 12 | 250 | 500 |\n\n\n”.\n\nNotes\n\n1 This is a compilation of the *Environmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001* and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Citation** | **Gazettal** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| *Environmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001* | 30 Nov 2001 p. 6068-71 | 30 Nov 2001 |\n\n\nDefined terms\n\n*[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]*\n\n**Defined term Provision(s)**\n\nbund 2\n\ncompound 2\n\ndust collection system 2\n\nliquid waste 2\n\nmetal coating 2\n\nmetal coating treatment tank 2\n\noperator 2\n\nover spray 2\n\npowder coating 2\n\npowder coating booth 2\n\npremises 2\n\nsolid waste 2\n\nspray painting booth 2\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Unable to assess scope or any changes to original legislative intent — no text was available for review."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative text was retrievable — the source URL returned a 404/moved page error","Analysis is impossible without actual content","Complexity score of 1 reflects absence of content, not simplicity of the underlying law"],"plain_english_summary":"**No legislation content could be retrieved.**\n\nThe link provided leads to a broken or moved page on the Western Australian legislation website. The actual text of the **Environmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001** (WA) was not available for analysis.\n\n**What we know from the title alone:**\n- This is a Western Australian regulation (subordinate law made under a parent Act, likely the *Environmental Protection Act 1986* (WA))\n- It deals with **metal coating** — likely covering industrial processes such as electroplating, galvanising, anodising, or powder coating\n- These types of regulations typically set environmental standards for businesses that use chemicals and produce waste in metal coating processes\n- It would most likely affect **business operators** in manufacturing, automotive, construction, and fabrication industries\n\n**To access the actual legislation**, visit: [www.legislation.wa.gov.au](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au) and search for \"Environmental Protection (Metal Coating) Regulations 2001\"."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument applies to metal coating premises identified in Schedule 1 Part 2 category 81 of the Environmental Protection Regulations 1987 (Reg 3). The text sets operational, technical and waste‑management duties but does not indicate an expansion or contraction of that statutory application within the instrument itself."},"complexity_factors":["Prescriptive technical requirements for spray and powder booths (design, construction, installation, maintenance) referencing external standards — Reg 6(a), Reg 8(a) (AS/NZS 4114.1 and AS/NZS 3754).","Operational performance tests for ventilation and dust systems (no visible overspray/powder; all booth air passes through extraction; discharged air must not cause pollution) — Reg 6(b)(i)-(iii), Reg 8(b)(i)-(iii).","Containment and bund sizing formulae for areas storing polluting chemicals (impervious walls/floor; capacity: 110% of largest tank or interconnected system and at least 25% of total tanks) — Reg 10(1)(a)-(c)(i)-(ii).","Clear prohibitions on emissions and discharges (no visible dust/powder escaping premises; no liquid waste escaping or discharged to environment) — Reg 5, Reg 9, Reg 11(1)-(2).","Waste disposal linkage to licensing under the Act for solid waste (must go to landfill or treatment facility licensed under Part V) — Reg 12.","Fixed criminal penalty and infringement schedule (offence penalty $5,000 plus specified infringement amounts) — Reg 13; Reg 14 (amendment to Environmental Protection Regulations 1987 Schedule 6).","Defined-term framework concentrates duties on the 'operator' and ties obligations to ‘premises’ and specific processes, raising compliance clarity but requiring careful application to different site layouts — definitions in Reg 2.","Interplay with existing Environmental Protection Regulations 1987 (application limited to premises in Schedule 1 Part 2 category 81), which affects which businesses fall within scope — Reg 3 and Reg 14."],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations require operators at metal‑coating premises to perform spray painting and powder coating in specified enclosed booths with functioning ventilation and dust‑collection so no visible overspray, powder or dust escapes; they also require chemical containment (bunding sized to tank volumes) and prohibit discharge of liquid waste while directing solid waste to licensed facilities. The rules apply to businesses doing spray painting, powder coating or enamelling and matter because they set concrete technical, containment and disposal duties with enforceable penalties."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose of regulating metal coating operations to prevent pollution. It covers spray painting, powder coating, chemical storage, and waste disposal - all directly related to the core activity of metal coating. No significant scope creep is evident."},"complexity_factors":["Only 14 regulations total, with straightforward operational requirements","12 defined terms in a single interpretation section (section 2), all clearly explained","Minimal cross-referencing - only references to AS/NZS standards (Australian/New Zealand Standards) and the parent Environmental Protection Regulations 1987","Simple conditional logic: one exception in regulation 4 (spray painting booth not required if object size/shape makes it unreasonable)","No nested exceptions or complex conditional structures","Clear penalty structure: single flat penalty of $5,000 for any contravention"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set rules for businesses in Western Australia that coat metal products (like spray painting cars or powder coating furniture). They require operators to use enclosed booths for spray painting and powder coating to stop paint, dust, and chemicals from escaping into the air or environment. If spray painting outdoors is unavoidable, operators must ensure no paint drifts off the property. The rules also cover safe storage of chemicals in acid-proof compounds with spill containment, proper disposal of liquid and solid waste, and ban discharging waste into the environment. Breaking these rules can result in a $5,000 fine."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001","history":"/api/acts/environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001/history","analysis":"/api/acts/environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/environmental-protection-metal-coating-regulations-2001/documents"}}