The Industrial emissions Act enters into force on 1 June 2013.
The aim of the new Industrial Emissions Act is to transpose EU Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) into Estonian law.
As the directive includes various fields of activity, to a large extent its provisions have already been previously transposed into Estonian law but are scattered between different legal acts. The Industrial Emissions Act will incorporate rules applicable to the industrial activities sector and set uniform requirements for operating industrial installations in a manner similar to the Directive.
In comparison with earlier regulation some of the major amendments concern setting new emission limit values for combustion plants, waste incineration plants and waste co-incineration plants and for installations producing titanium dioxide as well as implementing best available techniques at installations requiring integrated permits subject to established requirements included in the Commission's conclusions and reference documents on the best available techniques.
Moreover, one of the more substantive amendments is the newly established obligation for installations requiring an integrated permit to publish baseline reports on the site and implement aftercare measures on decommissioning of installations. Another important item is implementation of an environmental monitoring system ensuring regular monitoring of installations and enabling adjustment of integrated permits whenever considered necessary.
Further information on the Act and relevant procedural information can be accessed on the web page of the State Gazette.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
