| Country | Legislation |
|---|---|
| Austria | Clean Air Ordinance for steam boilers (BGBI Nr 19/1989) Limit value for incinerators with steam-boiler installations Limit value for emission from steam-boiler installations fired by wood fuel (Amendment: BGBI 785/1994) Ordinance on air pollution from sintering plant for iron ore production (BGB1. II, Nr. 163/1997, 20.01.1997) Ordinance on air pollution from installations for the production or iron and steel (BGB1. II, Nr. 160/1997, 17.06.1997) Ordinance concerning the ban of PCP (BGB1. Nr. 58/1991) Ordinance concerning fertilizers, soil additives, and culture substrates (BGB1. Nr. 1007/1994) Ordinance in the province of Upper Austria on the application of sewage sludge, municipal solid waste compost and compost from sewage sludge (LGBl. Nr. 21/1993) Ordinance in the province of Lower Austria on sewage sludge (LGBl. 6160/2-0, 80/94) Guidelines |
| Belgium | Flemish regulation on environmental permits and conditions (Vlarem, Decree of 6/1/95) Flemish Decree of 1/19/99, Vlarem Regulation on environmental permits and conditions (BS/MB 31.03.99) regulating following sectors Municipal waste incineration Sewage sludge incineration Oil refineries, FCC catalyst regeneration |
| Date In Force | Description |
| 1989 | |
| Limit of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 applicable to plant with more than 750 kg/h Limit of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 applicable to plant with more than 10 MW | |
| 1997 | Limit of 0.4 ng I-TEQ/m3 set for new sintering plant built after 1/1/04 |
| 1997 | Iron and steel plant: limit value set at 0.25 ng I-TEQ/m3 until 12/31/05; from 1/1/06 the limit value is 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3; plant already approved 0.4 ng I-TEQ/m3 Electrical arc furnaces, induction furnaces, and ladle metallurgic installations: limit value set at 0.4 ng I-TEQ/m3; existing plants to comply within 5 years |
| 6/2/91 | Prohibits the production, use, and marketing of PCP |
| 1/4/93 | Limit value: 50 ng I-TEQ/kg in fertilizers, soil additives, or culture substrate; products containing 20–50 ng TEQ/kg have to be labeled with a warning sign “Attention contains dioxins/furans” (forbidden for use on children playgrounds and for vegetable cultivation); culture substrates are not allowed to contain more than 20 ng I-TEQ/kg |
| 1/4/93 | Dioxin limit value of 100 ng I-TEQ/kg dm |
| 7/28/94 | Dioxin limit value in sewage sludge of 100 ng I-TEQ/kg dm Officially, there are no guidelines for dioxin concentrations in the various environmental media or food; in the past, there were recommendations for maximum dioxin concentrations in milk, and a limit concentration of 3 ng I-TEQ/kg dm in grass fed to dairy cows Based on present information, it is unlikely that guide levels will be developed The recommended maximum human daily intake of dioxins is 10 pg 2,3,7,8-TCDD/kg body weight and if this is exceeded action should be taken to reduce exposure; a target value of 1 pg 2,3,7,8-TCDD/kg body weight should be achieved |
| 1/8/95 | New municipal solid waste incinerators: emission limit 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 Existing municipal solid waste incinerators: yearly measurement; emission limit 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 from 1/1/97 |
| 1/5/99 (unless other date specified) | Continuous dioxin sampling required; analysis at least every 2 weeks |
| 1/1/00 | Emission limit 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3; continuous sampling required |
| 1/1/02 | New plant: emission limits 0.5 ng I-TEQ/m3 (guide value: 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3) Existing plant: emission limits 2.5 ng I-TEQ/m3 (guide value: 0.4 ng I-TEQ/m3) |
| Country | Legislation |
| Metallurgical industries (iron and noniron) Sintering plant Crematoria Wood combustion (> 1 ton/h) Guidelines | |
| Denmark | Danish Executive Order, Danish Environment Protection Agency Decision Number 41 on waste incinerators Legislation on the prohibition of the use of PCP of 7/25/95 Guidelines |
| Finland | Council of State Decision 23 June 1994/626 on the prevention of air pollution by municipal waste incineration Guidelines |
| France | Ministerial Decision on urban waste incineration plant from 2/24/97 Guidelines |
| Date In Force | Description |
| 1/1/03 | New plant: emission limits 0.5 ng I-TEQ/m3 (guide value: 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3); yearly measurements required Existing plant: emission limit 1 ng I-TEQ/m3 (guide value: 0.4 ng I-TEQ/m3) |
| 1/1/02 | New plant: emission limit 0.5 ng I-TEQ/m3 at 16% O2 (guide value: 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3) Existing plant: emission limit 2.5 ng I-TEQ/m3 at 16% O2 (guide level: 0.4 ng I-TEQ/m3) Emission limit 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 |
| 2/2/97 | Emission limit 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 at 16% O2 There is a proposal for a recommended limit value for atmospheric deposition in the Flanders Region of 10 pg I-TEQ/m2/d (as a yearly average); there is currently no maximum tolerable daily intake recommended in Belgium |
| 1/14/97 | Target emission concentration set at 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3; requires a residence time of the flue gases of > 2 sec, at a temperature of > 850°C and combustion at > 6% oxygen; also covers sewage sludge incineration PCP use prohibited Maximum tolerable daily intake (recommended by the Nordic countries) of 5 pg N-TEQ/kg body weight |
| 1995 | Old plant: limit value of 1.0 ng I-TEQ/m3 New plant (from 1/12/90): limit value of 1.0 ng I-TEQ/m3 and target value of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 Target value of 0.1 ng/m3 for stack emissions from all municipal waste incinerators The Ministry of the Environment, Department for Environmental Protection has proposed a guideline of 2 ng I-TEQ/kg and a limit value of 500 ng I-TEQ/kg for contaminated soils Finland applies the maximum tolerable daily intake as adopted by the Nordic countries of 5 pg N-TEQ/kg body weight |
| 2/24/97 | New incinerators to meet the emission limits set in the EC Directive on Hazardous Waste incineration 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 A national recommendation from 2/97 set a guideline value for dioxin emissions from existing municipal solid waste incinerators of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3; the regional authorities decide on a case-by-case basis the legal limit value for such plant; the government's intention is that, in the future, stack emissions from all types of municipal solid waste incinerators should not exceed 0.1 ng/m3 The recommended guide level for emissions from metal processing and paper processing is 1 ng I-TEQ/y; if measurements reveal that concentrations exceed the guideline, then abatement action is required, as well as a program of milk analysis within a radius of 3 km from the plant A guide level of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 is recommended for incineration in the cement and lime manufacturing industry |
| Country | Legislation |
| Germany | Ordinance on bans and restrictions on the placing on the market of dangerous substances, preparations and products pursuant to the Chemicals Act (ChemVerbotsV) Ordinance on waste incineration plant (17 BImSchV) Ordinance on scavengers (19. BImSchV) Ordinance on sewage sludge (AbfKlärV 1992) Ordinance on crematoria (27 BImSchV 1997) Guidelines |
| Ireland | None Guidelines |
| Italy | Ministerial Decree (DM) No. 503 Ministerial Decree on the water quality and characteristics of the purification of the Venice Lagoon Guidelines |
| Date In Force | Description |
| 1989 | Ordinance on the ban of PCP |
| 1989 | Ordinance on the ban of PCB |
| 1990 | Limit values for dioxins in substances, preparations and articles set as 1, 5, or 100 μg/kg of the chemical compounds depending on the dioxin type |
| 1990 | Limit value of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 for dioxin emissions from waste incinerators |
| 1992 | Ban on the addition of scavengers to leaded gasoline |
| 1992 | Limit value of 100 ng I-TEQ/kg dried residue for dioxins in sewage sludge used as fertilizer in agriculture, horticulture, or forestry |
| 1997 | Limit value of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m for dioxin emission from crematoria In 1995, the Federal Environmental Agency issued the report Determination of Requirements to Limit Emissions of Dioxins and Furans; the report described measures that could reduce the emission of dioxins and furans from industrial installations; a target value of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 was recommended The Conference of the Ministers for the Environment adopted the report and asked the competent authorities to implement the measures A recommended limit value of 17 ng I-TEQ/kg dm exists for the use of compost; in the State of Baden-Württemberg, this is set as a legal limit Guideline measures were established for children's playgrounds and residential areas; in playgrounds, replacement of contaminated soil is required if the soil contains more than 100 ng I-TEQ/kg; in residential areas, such action is required if the soil is contaminated with more than 1,000 ng I-TEQ/kg; in industrial areas, the limit value was set to 10,000 ng I-TEQ/kg. No national legislation; however, any company which is licensable under the Irish Environment Protection Act, and which is seen as having “dioxin emission potential,” may be required to undertake dioxin emission measurements The Irish EPA BATNEEC Guidance Note for the Waste Sector includes a section on dioxin emissions, which states “The aim should be to achieve a guide TEQ value of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3. For hazardous waste incineration, subject to the EC establishing harmonized measurement methods by 01.07.96, this guide level becomes an emission level from 01.01.97”; where other issues arise, they tend to be guided by limits set or recommended by other EU countries (e.g., United Kingdom or Germany) |
| 11/19/97 | Regulates new municipal solid waste incinerator plant at the limit of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 in the exhaust gas; existing incineration plant must be technically upgraded to meet the above emission limit |
| 4/23/98 | Implements a zero emission concentration of dioxins and other organic compounds into the Venice Lagoon National Toxicology Commission proposed, in 1985, PCDD and PCDF reference technical limits for land rehabilitation; for farmable land the reference value was 750 ng/m2 and for nonfarmable land 5,000 ng/m2; |
| Country | Legislation |
| Luxembourg | Regulation of the Grand Duke, Memorial A No 89, p 1897, 12/30/91 Guidelines: Ministry Memorandum of 5/27/94, requiring the application of the best available technology by defining recommended limits for emissions into the air caused by industrial and crafts plants |
| Netherlands | Guideline on incineration of municipal solid waste and related processes (1989) Order on emissions from waste incineration Plant (Stcrt no. 15, 1992) and regulation on measurement methods for emissions from waste incineration plant Incineration Decree (Sb 36) Ministerial Order of the Ministry of Housing, Land Use, Planning and Environmental Protection (Stb Nos 176 to 182, 4/28/92) Pesticides Act 1989 Guidelines |
| Date In Force | Description |
| these were adopted, but recently were shown as inappropriate levels; a request made by the Tuscany Regional Authority that they be reviewed. A maximum tolerable daily intake 10 pg I-TEQ/kg body weight (excluding PCBs) was adopted as a guideline value in 1989 | |
| 1991 | Adopts Directive 89/429/EEC and 89/369/EEC. Emission limit of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 applies to new and existing municipal solid waste incinerators |
| 1994 | Recommends emission limit of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 for industrial and crafts plants; if no suitable technology is available in the market in order to meet this limit, then the process operator of existing industrial and crafts plants may apply for a derogation, of not more than 5 years duration, to 1 ng I-TEQ/m3 |
| 8/89 | Guideline on incineration of municipal solid waste and related processes (e.g., incineration of chemical waste, hospital waste, and sludge). Atmospheric emission standard of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 was recommended for new incinerators; existing incinerators had to meet the standard by 1/95 |
| 10/92 | Adopted to implement Directive 89/369/EEC Emission standard concentrations set as 0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3 |
| 1/95 | The guideline of 1989 is transformed into law by this Decree |
| 4/92 | Limits for discharges of PCP (Stb 178) and hexachlorobenzene (Stb 181) into controlled waters |
| 1991 | Production and use of PCP and NaPCP prohibited For sintering plant for iron ore production, best available technology has been introduced, resulting in a recommended emission level of 0.4 ng I-TEQ/m3 For the application of sewage sludge a standard of 190 ng I-TEQ/kg dm has been proposed; the maximum permissible application of sewage sludge on arable land is 2,000 kg dm/ha and on pasture land 1,000 kg dm/ha A standard of 63 ng I-TEQ/kg dm of dioxins in compost was been proposed in July 1994; the maximum permissible application of compost on arable land is 6,000 kg dm/ha and on pasture land 3,000 kg dm/ha. No legal standards have been set for dioxin concentrations in soil, but in 1987 guidance levels were proposed for soil pollution in residential areas and agricultural areas of 1,000 ng I-TEQ/kg dm, for aquatic sediments 100 ng I-TEQ/kg dm and for dairy farming 10 ng I-TEQ/kg dm Rehabilitation of dioxin-contaminated areas, such as production sites, waste disposal sites and harbor sediments, is a topical issue in the Netherlands The recommended maximum tolerable daily intake is currently 10 pg I-TEQ/kg body weight; the government is striving for a maximum daily intake of 1 pg I-TEQ/kg body weight |
| Country | Legislation |
| Spain | Guidelines |
| Sweden | SEPA Regulation on emissions to air from plant for incinerating municipal waste with a nominal capacity less than 6 tons per hour with a permit according to the Environment Protection Act (SNFS 1969:387) issued before 1/1/94 SNFS 1993:13. SEPA Regulation on emissions to air from plant for incinerating municipal waste with a permit according to the Environment Protection Act (1969:387) later than 1/1/94 and plant with a nominal capacity equal to or larger than 6 tons per hour with a permit issued according to the same law before 1/1/94, SNFS 1993:14 SEPA regulation on discharges of industrial wastewater containing certain substances, SNFS 1995:7 Guidelines |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) | Guidelines |
| Date In Force | Description |
| In Catalonia, the Regional Environmental Protection Agency has recommended that all municipal waste incinerators meet a stack emission limit of 0.1 ng/m3 The Catalonian EPA is currently developing a guideline concentration for dioxin in soils. | |
| 6/12/93 | Rules and regulations from 1987 have required that all new municipal solid waste incinerators emit less than 0.1 ng TCDD/m3; older plant also had to reduce their emissions towards this limit; for existing incinerators, limit values are in the range of 0.1–2 ng TCDD/m3 |
| 6/30/95 | Use of chlorine in Sweden's pulp and paper industry stopped; the production and use of PCP has been banned within Sweden for at least 10 years Tolerable daily intake = 5 pg TEQ/kg body weight The government provides guidance on concentrations of dioxin emissions achievable for various industrial processes in the form of the IPC Guidance Notes, issued by the U.K. Environment Agency; these guiding levels are used to assist in setting limits in individual plant authorizations; once an authorization is agreed this becomes a legally binding limit for the plant The recommended emission limits set for various incineration processes (including municipal, clinical, chemical, sewage sludge, animal carcasses, crematoria, and recovered oil) is 1.0 ng/m3 with an objective of achieving 0.1 ng TEQ/m3 For combustion processes (including large boilers and furnaces, combustion of fuel, reheat and heat treatment furnaces, coke manufacturers, compression ignition engines, and cement and lime manufacturers) the recommended limit value is 0.1 ng TEQ/m3 For various metal processes (including integrated iron and steel works, ferrous foundry processes, production of zinc, lead, copper, and aluminum) and papermaking the recommended limit value is 1.0 ng TEQ/m3 The maximum tolerable daily intake of 10 pg TEQ/kg body weight (including PCBs) was endorsed by the independent Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment |
NOTE: TEQ = toxicity equivalents, PCP = pentachlorophenol, dm = dry matter, TCDD = tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, PCB = polychlorinated biphenyl, PCDD = polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, PCDF = polychlorinated dibenzofuran.
From: A, Data Tables
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