6.6 Requirement to Keep Environmental Records

Record keeping is a tool which facilitates the work of environment inspectors. The statute should also require any person whose activity has or is likely to have significant impact on the environment, to keep detailed records of
those activities , their effects on the environment, and the compliance with those activities stipulated in the statute. The records should be submitted to an environmental institution on an annual basis. Criteria may be developed
to guide environmental institutions in determining which facilities should be required to submit records. The criteria may be similar to the ones applying to facilities required to issue a performance bond.

It should be an offence to fail to keep, or to fraudulently alter the records. Therefore, by enforcing the record keeping obligations under the statute, environmental institution will be able to augment its enforcement horizon, since these records will indicate whether such institutions whether a facility is violating any standard or provision of the statute. The key to the success of the record keeping system is to ensure that facilities do submit genuine records, and those which do not should be given deterrent penalties. Thus, record keeping obligations will need to be publicised for operators of facilities and the latter should know the repercussions of non-compliance.