Response of Republic of Poland on the implementation of the conclusions and
recommendations of the Hamburg seminar on the prevention of chemical accidents and
limitation of their impact on transboundary waters
I
WASTEWATERS
“The Parties to both Conventions should ensure that in the next five to ten years the operators
of hazardous activities in the catchment area of transboundary water bodies implement
measures to prevent accidentally contaminated wastewater finding its way - directly or
indirectly - into waters”
A. Law
Implemented into the domestic law:

x
The requirements have been implemented in the Act of Water Law - articles 39, 42 and 45
(Journal of Laws 2001, no. 115, item 1229 with subsequent changes) and in the Act on
Environment protection law – Part II – (Journal of Laws 2001, No. 62, item 627, with
subsequent changes).
B. Decisions and rules:
Implemented in the following Regulations:
•
of the Minister of Economy of 31 January 2006 changing the Regulation on kinds
and quantities of dangerous substances, presence of which in a plant decides on
rating it as the plant with increased risk or as the plant with high risk of a serious
industrial accident (Journal of Laws no. 30, item 208),
•
of the Minister of Economy, Labour and Social Policy of 29 May 2003 on
requirements that should be met by a report on safety of a plant with a high risk
(Journal of Laws No. 104, item 970),
•
of the Minister of Economy, Labour and Social Policy of 17 July 2003 on
requirements that should be met by operation-emergency plans (Journal of Laws
No. 131, item 1219),
•
of the Minister of Economy of 21 November 2005 on technical conditions that
should be met by liquid fuel bases and stations, long-distance industrial pipelines
for crude oil and oil-products and their localization (Journal of Laws No. 243,
item 2063),
and in the Regulation of the Minister of Environment on conditions that should be
met by discharging sewage into waters or a ground, and on substances especially
harmful for the aquatic environment (Journal of Laws 2004, no. 168, item 1763) and
also in the following publications of the Minister of Environment:

Guidelines for construction of ecologically safe filling stations

Guidelines for evaluation of existing installations for storage and distribution in a filling
station
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Moreover, in the framework of the Polish-Ukrainian Commission for Transboundary Waters the
following document has been developed:
•
“Principles of mutual notification and alarming on extraordinary pollution of
boundary waters with Ukraine”
Within the framework of the International Commission for the Protection of the Odra River against
Pollution the following documents have been developed:
"International warning and alarm plan for the Oder river" – aimed on ensuring effective data
transfer in order to make proper plans of preventive actions in case of an extraordinary water
pollution in the Oder river basin.
II.
FIRE PROTECTION
“The Parties to both Conventions should ensure that in the next five to ten years the operators
of hazardous activities in the catchment area of transboundary water bodies implement
measures to prevent fire fighting water finding its way - directly or indirectly - into waters”.
A
Law
Implemented into the domestic law:
x yes □ no □ planned
The requirements have been implemented in the Act on the National Fire Brigade
(Journal of Laws 2002, no. 147, item 1230, with subsequent changes).
B
Decisions and rules:
Implemented in the Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of
29 December 1999 on detailed principles of organisation of the national emergency and
fire-fighting system (Journal of Laws No. 111, item 1311, with subsequent changes).
III. TRANS-SHIPMENT
“The Parties to both Conventions should ensure that in the next five to ten years the operators
of hazardous activities in the catchment area of transboundary water bodies implement
measures to prevent substances hazardous to water accidentally finding their way - directly or
indirectly - into waters”
A
Law
Implemented into the domestic law:
x yes □ no □ planned
The requirements have been implemented in the Act on the Inland Navigation (Journal of Laws
2001, no. 5, item 43, with subsequent changes).
B.
Decisions and rules:
The requirements have been implemented in the Regulation of the Minister of
Infrastructure on the certificate of an adviser for safety of transport of dangerous
materials with inland navigation vessels (Journal of Laws 2004, No. 222, item 2256)
IV.
FLOOD AREAS
“The Parties to both Conventions should ensure that in the next five to ten years the operators
of hazardous activities in the catchment area of transboundary water bodies ensure that
containers and parts of installations with large quantities of substances hazardous to water
are protected against buoyancy, avulsion and damage from floating material”
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A. Law
Implemented into the domestic law:
x yes □ no □ planned
The requirements have been implemented in the following Acts:
• The Water Law – part III, article 40, paragraph 1, point 3, and Part IV, articles 79-84
B.
•
on waste (Journal of Laws 2001 no. 62, item 628, with subsequent changes).
•
on spatial planning (Journal of Laws 2003 no. 80, item 717)
Decisions and rules:
The requirements have been implemented in the following Acts:
•
of the Minister of Environment on the scope and mode of development of water
management plans in river basins and on conditions of utilising waters from a water
region (Journal of Laws 2004, no. 126, item 1318)
•
of the Minister of Environment on detailed requirements regarding localization,
construction, operation and closing that should be met by individual types of waste
dumps (Journal of Laws 2003 No. 61, item 549)
•
of the Minister of Infrastructure on the scope of the draft stadium of conditions and
spatial development of a community (Journal of Laws 2004, no. 118, item 1233)
Recommendations of the International Commission for the Protection of the Odra River against
Pollution:
•
V.
Requirements regarding the devices for storage of substances that could pollute
water, and which are located in the areas endangered by flood or backwater
CONTACT INFORMATION
Piotr Krok
Department of Water Management
Ministry of the Environment
Wawelska 52/54
00-922 Warszawa
Tel. + 48 22 57 92 520
Fax. + 48 22 57 92 294
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