Draft Guidelines on Best Available
Techniques (BAT) and Best
Environmental Practices (BEP)
Dale Evarts
BAT/BEP Expert Group
Stockholm Convention:
Regional Consultation on Draft BAT/BEP Guidelines
Buenos Aires, Argentina
March 14-16, 2005
Structure of the Draft Guidelines
• Section I - introduction
– purpose and structure of the document;
– description of the characteristics of chemicals
listed in Annex C;
– directly relevant provisions of the Stockholm
Convention, Article 5 and Annex C;
– a summary of required measures under these
provisions; and
– relationship of these provisions to the Basel
Convention
Structure of the Draft Guidelines
• Section II – Alternatives
– provides guidance on consideration of
alternatives, including:
• a checklist that may be used in applying best
available techniques to new sources, and
• information on other considerations of the
Stockholm Convention (health, safety,
environmental, social and economic, Annex C);
Structure of the Draft Guidelines
• Section III - general guidance, applicable
principles and descriptions of considerations
that cut across multiple source categories
• Section IV - compilation of the summaries
provided for each category of sources in
sections V and VI.
Structure of the Draft Guidelines
• Sections V & VI - contain specific guidelines
for each source category listed in Part II and
Part III of Annex C of the Stockholm
Convention. For each of the source-specific
guidelines, the following information is
provided:
– Process description;
– Sources of chemicals listed in Annex C;
– Primary and secondary measures;
– Performance standards;
– Performance reporting
Structure of the Draft Guidelines
• References and bibliographic
information:
– Provided at the end of each section of the
guidelines
– The complete list of references and
bibliographic information for the guidelines
and guidance will be available at:
www.pops.int.
– This site can be updated as relevant new
information becomes available.
Section I
Relation to the Basel Convention
• The Basel Convention is the one other global
agreement directly relevant to the application of
BAT and BEP in the control of the chemicals listed
in Stockholm Annex C
• Stockholm Article 6 – Stockpiles and wastes
• The Basel COP has developed guidance for use
by the Stockholm COP in determining the best
waste practices for POPs
Section II
Alternatives
Article 5 and Annex C of the Stockholm Convention, when
considered together, suggest that whenever Parties require the
use of best available techniques for new sources, they should do
so in a way that gives priority consideration to alternative
processes, techniques or practices that have similar usefulness
but which avoid formation and release of the listed chemicals.
•
•
Provides guidance on the consideration of alternatives under
circumstances requiring the use of best available techniques for
new sources
Identifies elements of environmental, health, safety and socioeconomic considerations including:
– Reviewing the proposed new facility in the context of sustainable
development
– Identifying possible and available alternatives
– Undertaking a comparative evaluation of both the proposed and
identified possible and available alternatives
– Providing priority consideration
Section III – Guidance, General
Principles, and Cross-Cutting Considerations
Guidance
•
General considerations:
–
•
Policy, legal and governance issues:
–
–
•
BAT and BEP will advance with time
Economic and social implications
–
•
Country specificity
Types of measures
Scientific and technical issues
–
•
Timing, action plans & NIPs
Economic and social factors will be important
determinants of BAT/BEP
New versus existing sources
–
–
Phase in of requirements for new sources
Promotion of BAT/BEP for existing sources
Section III – Guidance, General
Principles, and Cross-Cutting Considerations
General Principles
• Sustainable development.
• Sustainable consumption.
• Development and implementation of environmental
management systems.
• Precautionary approach.
• Internalizing environmental costs and polluter pays.
• Pollution prevention.
• Integrated pollution prevention and control.
• Co-benefits of controlling other pollutants.
• Cleaner production.
• Life cycle analysis.
• Life cycle management.
• Virtual elimination.
Section III – Guidance, General
Principles, and Cross-Cutting Considerations
Cross-cutting Considerations
•
Chemicals listed in Annex C: Formation
mechanisms
–
–
•
Thermal processes
Industrial-chemical processes
Waste management considerations include
–
–
–
Reference to waste & hazardous waste strategies of
the Basel Convention
Importance of source reduction
Avoidance of open burning
Section III – Guidance, General
Principles, and Cross-Cutting Considerations
Cross-cutting Considerations
(continued)
• Management of flue gases
– Flue gas treatment techniques
– Treatment of flue gas residues
• Training of decision makers and technical
personnel
– Importance recognised in Convention
– Particularly relevant to BAT/BEP issue
• Testing, monitoring and reporting of releases
– Important for evaluation of compliance
Section IV
Compilation of Summaries
• Each summary includes the following, as
appropriate:
– A brief description of the source, its purpose and the
processes involved;
– Potential of the source for generation of chemicals
listed in Annex C of the Stockholm Convention;
– Best available techniques and best environmental
practices to minimize emissions of chemicals listed in
Annex C;
– Primary and secondary measures that may assist in
reducing emissions;
– Alternatives, where applicable, to current processes
and practices;
– Achievable performance levels.
Section V
Guidelines for Part II Categories
• Waste incinerators
– Municipal solid waste, hazardous waste & sewage
sludge
– Medical waste
• Cement kilns firing hazardous waste
• Production of pulp using elemental chlorine or
chemicals generating elemental chlorine
• Thermal processes in the metallurgical industry
–
–
–
–
Secondary copper production
Sinter plants in the iron & steel industry
Secondary aluminium production
Secondary zinc production
Section VI
Guidelines for Part III Categories
•
•
Open burning of waste, including burning of landfill sites
Thermal processes in the metallurgical industry not mentioned in
Annex C, Part II:
–
–
–
–
–
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Secondary lead production
Primary aluminium production
Magnesium production
Secondary steel production
Primary base metals production
Residential combustion sources
Fossil fuel-fired utility and industrial boilers
Firing installations for wood and other biomass fuels
Specific chemical production processes releasing
chemicals listed in Annex C
Crematoria
Motor vehicles, particularly those burning leaded gasoline
Destruction of animal carcasses
Textile and leather dyeing and finishing
Shredder plants for the treatment of end-of-life vehicles
Smouldering of copper cables
Waste oil refineries