IPPC
Integrated Pollution, Prevention and Control, (IPPC)
The purpose of IPPC is to achieve integrated prevention and control of pollution. It lays down measures designed to prevent or, where that is not practicable, to reduce emissions in the air, water and land, including measures concerning waste, in order to achieve a high level of protection of the environment taken as a whole.
The IPPC permit is permit issued by competent authority, containing conditions guaranteeing that the installation complies with the requirements of the Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (“Off. Gaz. of RS”, No. 135/04 and 25/15).
The IPPC permit is issued to: the work of new IPPC facilities (from the entry into force of IPPC legislation no new facility cannot begin work without the integrated permit), work and essential changes in the work – existing facilities are required to obtain an integrated permit by 2020. in accordance with the deadlines established by the Regulation on determining the dynamics of applying for the issuance of the integrated permits (“Off. Gazette of RS, No. 108/2008 and 25/2015). Permission, exceptionally, may apply also to the termination of activities.
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) is an integrated approach to pollution control, which involves minimizing the raw materials and energy consumption, preventing or reducing emissions into the air, water and land, managing waste and taking into consideration of the cross-border context.
In 1996, the European Commission adopted the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, which aims to achieve integrated pollution prevention and control stemming from industrial activities, requiring industrial installations operators covered by the directive to obtain a permit from the EU Member States competent authorities. Such permits are based on the Best Available Techniques (BAT) application and emission control in all areas of the environment. Directive 96/91/EC was replaced in 2008 by the new IPPC Directive 2008/1/EC, and in January 2014 the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU, which replaced the IPPC Directive, entered into force.
According to the IPPC Directive, the Law on Integrated Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control was adopted in 2004 (amended in 2015), with accompanying by-laws regulating specific issues in the field of integrated pollution prevention and control.
An integrated permit is issued for:
– The operation of new installations (since the entry into force of the IPPC Law, no new IPPC plant can start operation without integrated permit);
– The operation and substantial changes-existing installations are obliged to obtain integrated permit until the 2020.
An integrated permit may, exceptionally, also refer to the cessation of activities. An integrated permit is a decision of the competent authority made in the form of a decision approving the commissioning of a plant or a part thereof, or performing activities of which an integral part consists of documentation with specified conditions guaranteeing that such a plant or activity meets the requirements stipulated by the Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control environment (“Official Gazette of the RS”, Nos. 135/04 and 25/15). The integrated permit specifies the conditions for the discharge of pollutants or energy into all environmental media.
The permit application should contain a description of the installations and their activities, a plan for the use of raw materials and energy in the production process, sources, nature and quantities of emissions, significant environmental effects of the emissions, proposed technologies and techniques for the prevention and reduction of emissions, measures for the prevention and recovery of waste, and emission monitoring measures. The request also contains a non-technical description.
The contents of the documentation, attached to the request, is as follows:
1. The design for the planned, i.e. built installation;
2. The report on the latest technical inspection;
3. The monitoring plan;
4. Results of measuring the pollution of environmental components and other parameters during the trial operation;
5. Waste management plan;
6. The plan of measures for the efficient energy consumption;
7. The plan of accident prevention measures and measures aimed at limiting their impact;
8. The plan of environmental protection measures to be implemented upon termination of operation and closing of the installation;
9. The document granting the right of use of natural resources;
10. The statement confirming that the information contained in the application are true, correct and complete and that they are available to public;
11. Approval for an Environmental Impact Assessment Study and accident risk assessment (for new installations);
12. Approval for an Environmental Impact Assessment Study for current situation, accident risk assessment and Program of measures to adapt installations to the conditions of the Law (for existing installations).
The licensing process begins with consideration of the application. The next step is to inform authorities, organizations and the public. Subsequently, drafting of the permit is commenced, which is should be completed within 45 days of the submission of the application. After the work of the technical committee, the request is decided and the whole procedure takes 120 days, and in exceptional cases it can be extended up to 240 days.
The permit issued shall be subject to reconsideration by the competent authority at least twice during its validity.
The permit issued is valid for 10 years, but the permit can be subject to reconsideration by the competent authority at least twice during its validity.