Compliance with environmental licensing conditions in Scotland has fallen by 2% from last year, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).
Eighty-eight per cent of operators covered by the agency's compliance assessment scheme (CAS) achieved a rating of excellent, good or broadly compliant in 2014, compared with 90% in 2013, Sepa found.
The scheme covers operators licensed under the pollution prevention and control (PPC) part A and B; waste management licences (WML), controlled activity regulations (CAR) discharges; and sites licensed under the radioactive substances act (RSA).
Of the 5,305 licensed activities assessed, 3,876 (73%) were rated excellent, 726 (14%) as good and 64 (1%) as broadly compliant. Of the remainder, 268 (5%) were classified as at risk, 311 (6%) as poor and 60 (1%) as very poor.
The agency acknowledged that it had not met its 2014 target, which is for 91% compliance. However, the 2014 CAS figures include the first time 1,187 water resource licenses . Had these licenses been included in 2013 figures, the overall compliance rate would have been 86%, it said.
Sepa executive director, Calum MacDonald, said: "Although the 88% compliance rate is welcome, I am obviously disappointed to see the overall compliance level decline during 2014.
"Non-compliance is not an option and several initiatives are currently ongoing which aim to drive up compliance across each sector where ratings have been less than satisfactory."