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Issues Variability and ChangeAmbient Air QualityIndoor Air Quality |
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At a glance The issue Air emissions from heavy industrial facilities have potential to cause environmental harm and human health problems. 'Heavy industry' generally refers to industries that are capital- and/or labour-intensive, such as mining, and metal and paper manufacturing. This 'At a glance' section provides an overview of the issue of heavy industrial air emissions. More detailed information is available in the Heavy Industrial Emissions to Air Issue Report. An indicator of the Emission of Air Pollutants has been included in this report. While there are no specific recommendations presented on this issue, a general recommendation is provided on Total Exposure to Air Pollution. Favourable news - There is now a well-established suite of analytical methods and instrumentation that are used for the direct measurement of air quality parameters, supported by a number of Australian standards.
- A major step forward in the ability to assess air quality has been the emergence of computer dispersion models as credible tools for predicting the impact of industrial air emissions. The ability to predict ambient air quality parameters has seen the focus of regulatory standards shift away from in-stack contaminant concentration limits towards setting ground-level contaminant concentration limits averaged over appropriate time periods.
- The Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality) is expected to be in operation in 2003.
- Tasmanian heavy industries, which are regulated by the State Government, are all now operating according to regularly reviewed environmental management plans that address air emissions. The commitments required by an industry under such a plan are usually incorporated into the facility's operating permit conditions. In addition, most heavy industries have established environmental management systems based on the ISO 14001 standard, and are underpinned by the philosophies of self-regulation and continual improvement.
- Reporting on industry emissions through the National Pollutant Inventory has become mandatory in Tasmania since 2002 (under Section 43 of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994). From July 2001, reporting against 90 substances has been required-an increase from the original 36 substances (DPIWE 2002).
Unfavourable news - Effectively managing heavy industrial air emissions is often technically challenging and expensive, especially if pollution control equipment must be retrofitted to an existing facility, rather than incorporated into the design of a new facility.
- The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) enables community access to information on pollution as well as programs such as regional and State environmental reporting. However, expertise and resources to implement NPI reporting requirements-including new reporting requirements against 90 substances-is limited in Tasmania. It is challenging to effectively implement NPI reporting requirements in Tasmania.
- Improvements to industrial indoor air quality have not progressed as fast as those for ambient (outdoor) air quality. Regulatory responsibilities for industrial indoor air quality are unclear and information availability is poor. The scope or scale of the potential problem cannot, at present, be adequately described.
- Computer models (e.g. AUSPLUME) are limited in where they can be applied in Tasmania, due to the complexity of air emission sources in many areas. The uptake of more complex models (e.g. AUSMET and AUSPUFF) to accommodate such problems in areas where AUSPLUME is unsuitable, has been limited to date.
Uncertain news - A challenge ahead is to ensure compliance with the Tasmanian Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality), although this is not expected to require substantial change to current practices. New industries, such as those to be located within the heavy industrial zone proposed for Port Latta, will be established with a better understanding of baseline air quality conditions. There will also be well-established expectations for air pollution control systems, and with environmental monitoring programs in place to assess impacts.
- While it is beyond the scope of this report, changes in emissions to air by light industry are unknown and cannot be readily identified through sources such as the National Pollutant Inventory.
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