MPs on both sides of the House of Assembly welcomed legislation yesterday to increase the protection of residents from pollutants.

Jaché Adams, the Minister of Public Works and Environment, said the Clean Air Amendment Regulations 2025 equipped the Government to adequately address longstanding concerns.

He said the legislation, built on the foundation set by the Clean Air Act 1991, ensured that the Act “reflects today's environmental realities and scientific standards”.

Mr Adams said the amendments would be implemented simultaneously with the Clean Air Amendment 2024 after a short transition period to ensure “clarity, fairness and effective enforcement from the outset”.

He added: “Maintaining clean air requires more than goodwill. It requires clear rules grounded in science.

“To that end, we are making Bermuda’s legally enforceable limit values for key pollutants more stringent, aligning them with the aspirational targets of the UK and the EU.”

The pollutants include fine particulates, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide.

Mr Adams said by aligning with UK, EU and US ambient air quality standards, the Bermuda regulations “exceed the international benchmarks that larger jurisdictions use while tailoring them to our small island context”.

The limits apply to industrial plants across the island, but also include generators, spray booths and crushers.

Regardless of size or ownership, Mr Adams said each operator would be held to the same scientific standard.

Odours remain one of the “most persistent environmental concerns”, Mr Adams said.

“To address this, the regulations establish Bermuda’s first scientific standard for measuring odour using a five to one dilution of threshold ratio.”

He explained: “If an odour remains detectable after being diluted five times with clean air, it qualifies as a nuisance.”

Three government officers have been trained and certified in the UK as odour inspectors, ensuring assessments are professional, consistent and fair.

Under the regulations, if more than two nuisance events are confirmed within 12 months, the operator will be issued an emissions control order requiring corrective action.

Through collaboration between the Department of Natural Resources and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, the island maintains an air monitoring station and seven pole-mounted sensors strategically placed near industrial areas.

MPs heard that clean air monitors are in operation at Crow Lane, Prospect, The Berkeley Institute, Saltus, Whitney Avenue, Dockyard and Southside.

The regulations also expand the list of controlled chemicals requiring import permits.

They introduce a duty to report accidental releases of “nuisance odour”, and reduce the allowable smoke opacity limit from 20 per cent to 15 per cent.

“These are practical measures guided by international research and public feedback,” Mr Adams added.

In crafting the legislation, the Government received 125 written submissions and reviewed an 89-page document submitted by the Bermuda Clean Air Coalition.

Mr Adams told the House: “These regulations reflect consultation and strike a careful balance between public health, economic reality and community expectation.”

He highlighted recent media reports with comments from operators who “acknowledged the issues and are beginning to take responsibility”.

Belco recently reported elevated levels of soot during the summer months and listed the mitigating actions taken.

Mr Adams said the operators of Green Land Farm in Smith’s had also pledged to improve its management of odour and waste.

He said: “This shows that the message is getting through.

“Environmental responsibility is a shared duty with the understanding that the Government sets the standards and operators must meet them.”

Opposition whip Craig Cannonier said the legislation was “welcomed by all”.

He said businesses such as paint shops had been allowed in residential areas in the past, and that addressing the regulation of businesses under the law today would not be easy — noting that the ministry could designate industrial sites such as those at Southside.

Lovitta Foggo, a government MP and Deputy Speaker of the House, said emissions from an incinerator and a medical waste facility affected residents of St David’s (Constituency 3) and St George’s South (Constituency 4).

She added: “We do end up with emissions sometimes which have an odour and which grab the attention of those who work and those who live nearby.

“I too am happy to see that there are regulations that are being put in place to ensure that emissions are at a level which should not cause any harm to those who are exposed to them.”