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Permitting as an instrument to manage and control fine dust. Karen Goris - Environmental Licences Division Environment, Nature & Energy Department Flanders Region – BELGIUM. Contents. The Flemish Region within Belgium The Environmental Licences Division Permitting system in Flanders
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Permitting as an instrument to manage and control fine dust Karen Goris - Environmental Licences Division Environment, Nature & Energy Department Flanders Region – BELGIUM
Contents • The Flemish Region within Belgium • The Environmental Licences Division • Permitting system in Flanders • Permitting procedure • Permit conditions • Action plans fine dust • Practical approach of fine dust in permits
The Flemish Region within Belgium Belgium: in the heart of Europe
The Flemish Region within Belgium Belgium : a federal state with 3 Regions Flanders Region Brussels Capital Region Walloon Region
The Flemish Region within Belgium The 3 Regions of Belgium Environment is a regional responsability Each region has its own legislation and permitting system
The Environmental Licences Division • part of the Environment, Nature and Energy Department (LNE) • vision: • we do this by: The Environmental Licences Division is responsible for the prevention and reduction of pollution by (industrial) activities • evaluation of environmental licence applications • updating permit conditions based on BAT • drawing up, updating and evaluating environmental conditions
The Environmental Licences Division Environmental Licences Division Legal & Technical Support to the Licences Policy Environmental Licences Policy Best Available Techniques and Recognitions provincialexternal office provincialexternal office provincialexternal office provincialexternal office provincialexternal office Environmental Licences Division: 115 staff members (75 highly skilled advisors)
Permitting system in Flanders Before 1991: • system of ‘single media permits’ no integrated approach, fragmentated permit conditions • environmental licences & inspectorate division = together History of permitting: • 1946 ARAB (workplace safety) • 1959 natural resources • 1971 waste water permit • 1974 toxic waste • 1981 waste products • 1984 groundwater permit Note: different duration of permits (10 years, 30 years, no limitation)
Permitting system in Flanders Since 1991:VLAREM • integrated environmental legislation (air, water, soil, waste, raw materials, external safety,…) • integrated approach: permit granted by one authority Principles: • no exploitation without permit • one integrated permit for one plant, granted by one authority • all conditions together • duration: max. 20 years • separate environmental licences division & inspectorate division
Permitting system in Flanders Classification list of establishments considering nuisance, pollution and risk: 3 categories • Class 3: plants with less nuisance, less polluting, less risk • ca. 175.000 installations in Flanders • e.g. small garage, carpenter, storage < 20.000 l fuel oil, … • Class 2: potential polluting plants • ca. 75.000 installations in Flanders • e.g. big garage, transformer > 1.000 kVA, printing office 10-200 kW, …
Permitting system in Flanders • Class 1: potential strong polluting plants • ca. 25.000 installations in Flanders • e.g. landfill, > 500.000 l fuel oil, > 1.000 pigs, > 200 cattle, … • incl. IPPC, Seveso & Environmental Impact Assessment Directives • number of IPPC-installations: ca. 1.200 in Flanders • ca. 500 intensive rearing • ca. 70 energy-industry • ca. 130 ferrous metals • ca. 170 chemical industry • ca. 120 waste treatment • ca. 25 mineral industry • ca. 185 other activities • number of Seveso-plants in Flanders: ca. 280 • ca. 140 lower treshold • ca. 140 upper treshold
Permitting procedure: class 1 Submit application to the province Checked for completeness and admissibility Bench of Mayor and Aldermen (opinion) Different administrations (opinion in 60 days) Mayor (public consultation) Provincial Environmental Licence Commission: single opinion (unanimous or majority) Provincial Council: Delivers/refuses permit (possibility to delay deadline with 60 days) Whole procedure takes up to 4 months (if decision to delay deadline: up to 6 months)
Permitting procedure : class 1 permit application: • Includes a lot of administrative and technical data • Environmental Impact Assessment (if applicable) • Safety Report (if applicable) • description of (not limited) • installation and activities • materials and energy used/generated • sources of emissions • conditions of the site • nature and quantities of emissions into each medium + identification of significant effects on the environment • technology and techniques for preventing (reducing) emissions • further measures planned • measures to monitor emissions
Permitting procedure : class 1 • Environmental Licences Division – all aspects • Town or City (Bench of Mayor and Aldermen) – all aspects • RO – location (spatial planning) • VMM - water and air emissions • OVAM – waste management • ALBON - natural resources • VEA – energy management • ToVo – public health aspects • Air and Climate Division -greenhouse gases • 60 days opinions: these opinions always asked need for these opinions depends of installation
Permitting procedure : class 1 • = all opinion giving entities + experts • explanation of all opinions • explanation of all remarks/objections that are made during the public investigation • operator is invited to be heard (if he wants to) • others (e.g. public) can be invited • a coordinated and motivated opinion is made for the Provincial Council • = integrated approach Provincial Environmental Licence Committee (PMVC)
Permitting procedure : class 1 • political authority that delivers or refuses permit • possibility to delay deadline with 60 days • each permit has permit conditions • possibility for appeal Provincial Council
Permit conditions: principles • Permit conditions: 3 types: • General Binding Rules • are based on BAT • include emission limit values to prevent/reduce emissions • contain suitable release monitoring requirements, specifying measurement methodology and frequency, evaluation procedure and an obligation to supply the competent authority with data required for checking compliance with the permit • Sectoral environmental conditions for specific installations • are based on BAT • include emission limit values for specific types of installations • E.g. rules on dust control in the construction materials and mineral products industries • specific permit conditions • taking into account local factors(nuisance, environmental quality standards)
Permit conditions: principles • Note: Integration of several EU-Directives in the General Binding Rules and • Waste Incineration • Waste Framework Directive • Use of dangerous substances • Large Combustion Plants • Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive • …
Action plans fine dust • EU-Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air PM 10 • Average value calendaryear 40 µg/m3 (limit value) • Average for one day 50 µg/m3, max 35/year (equivalence with year average value of 31 µg/m3) • EU-Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air PM 2,5 • 2010: 25 µg/m3 (target value) • 2015: 25 µg/m3 (limit value) • 2020: reduction starting from 2010
Action plans fine dust • General action plan Flanders on fine dust (December ’05) • Specific action plan on fine dust in industrial hotspot zones (May ’07) • Hotspot zones: 5 main zones, some divided • Particular approach for each particular hotspot zone • 19 actions; 11 permit division involved • Steering by working group • Specific action plan on fine dust and NO2 in Antwerp City and the harbour of Antwerp (July ’08) • Hotspot zone according hotspot action plan • Required more investigation and information • Integrated approach with NO2-reduction
Action plans fine dust: actions • Specific actions for specific hotspot zones • Oostrozebeke: check if WESP should be applied in the specific permit conditions of chipboard industries • Sectoral permit conditions • Investigate if for certain activities, the sectoral permit conditions should be sharpened • Specific permit conditions • Evaluations of permits: attention for fine dust and if necessary: propose specific permit conditions • BAT-studies • BAT-study on emissions of chipboard industries • Attention for taking into account (fine) dust emissions in BAT-studies
Practical approach of fine dust in permits • Seminar for advisors: how to deal with fine dust in permits? • Program: • Introduction • Legislation • Measures • Guidance • Sources of information
Principles for evaluation of permits • 2 key questions: • Is fine dust of any relevance for the given activity? • Is the activity situated in a hotspot zone or not? • Matrix structure
Conclusion • Environmental permit • Valuable instrument to prevent and reduce dust • Limited to industrial activities • Regular update of permit conditions • Development of awareness and knowledge
Thank you for your attention Karen Goris - Environmental Licences Division Environment, Nature & Energy Department