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11. Emissions control

Environment Agency

September 21
08:25 2022

1. You must review your activities to identify opportunities to minimise and where possible contain, treat and abate emissions.

2. All air and emissions treatment (including gas clean-up) must be engineered, commissioned and validated by a chartered engineer.

3. Equipment must be tested, operated and maintained following manufacturers recommendations, operational requirements and design criteria.

4. When determining the complexity of the control measure you need to apply you must consider if you need to comply with mandatory AEL. Otherwise you can follow a risk based approach and must consider the:

  • inventory of emissions
  • type or composition of emissions, for example dust, bioaerosols, odour, organic compounds or litter
  • source of emissions
  • site location and proximity to sensitive receptors
  • the impact on any sensitive receptors
  • likelihood of release, taking account of seasonal and process variations
  • measures you can take that will break the source pathway receptor relationship

11.1 Emissions inventory

The following measures apply to all processes and operations.

1. You must identify, characterise and control all emissions from your activities that may cause pollution. This includes all emissions to air and water (including emissions to sewer) from your facility.

2. Your emissions inventory must include information about the relevant characteristics of the emission to air and water, such as:

  • flammability, lower and higher explosive limits and reactivity
  • other substances present that may affect the waste gas treatment system or plant safety (for example, oxygen, nitrogen, water vapour, dust)
  • average and maximum values and variability of flow, pH, temperature, and conductivity
  • average and maximum concentration and load values of relevant substances and their variability for example, COD and TOC, nitrogen species, phosphorus, metals, priority substances or micro pollutants speciated organic compounds and ammonia
  • data on bio eliminability for example, BOD, BOD to COD ratio, Zahn Wellens test, biological inhibition potential (such as, inhibition of activated sludge)

11.2 Emissions monitoring and limits

The following measures apply to all processes and operations.

We may set emission limits and monitoring requirements in your permit, based upon your emissions inventory and environmental risk assessment. We may set additional limits and monitoring requirements for certain processes, for example dust and total volatile organic compounds.

1. Where you are required to monitor emissions to comply with the requirements of your environmental permit you must follow our monitoring guidance.

2. For relevant emissions to water or sewer identified by the emissions inventory, you must monitor key process parameters (for example, waste water flow, pH, temperature, conductivity, or BOD) at key locations. For example, these could either be at the:

  • inlet or outlet (or both) of the pre treatment
  • inlet to the final treatment
  • point where the emission leaves the facility boundary

11.3 Meteorological conditions

1. You must monitor and record meteorological conditions or have access to meteorological data for the site location. This is so you can forecast wind speed, air temperature and wind direction.

2. You must put weather monitoring stations at appropriate locations on your site.

3. You should calibrate meteorological monitoring equipment every 4 months or follow manufacturers recommendations.

11.4 Bioaerosols

1. You must take measures to minimise the release of bioaerosols from your process.

2. You must document potential bioaerosol emission sources and identify measures to minimise their release. Measures include, for example:

  • processing waste promptly and monitoring it according to defined processing conditions
  • taking corrective measures to address unfavourable conditions
  • using slow-speed shredders in sensitive locations with misting devices fitted or carrying out these activities in covered areas
  • taking into account meteorological conditions when managing activities
  • avoiding activities such as turning and shredding in unfavourable meteorological conditions
  • stopping activities when the wind is blowing in the direction of sensitive receptors
  • dampening haul roads and processing areas and stopping activities when the wind is blowing in the direction of sensitive receptors
  • using static aeration and covering piles where possible and practicable

3. If your facility is within 250 metres of a sensitive receptor, you must:

  • write and implement a site specific bioaerosol risk assessment
  • monitor bioaerosols to make sure that the control methods you have stated are effective

4. You must implement the control measures identified in your risk assessment. You must also consider the exposure of staff and visitors and take measures to avoid or reduce prolonged exposure to bioaerosols.

11.5 Emissions of odour

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