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National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004)

Notices

List of Activities which result in atmospheric emissions which have or may have a significant deterimental effect on the environment, including health, social conditions, economic conditions, ecological conditions or cultural heritage

Category 8: Thermal Treatment of Hazardous and General Waste

 

Category 8: Thermal Treatment of Hazardous and General Waste

 

(8) Subcategory 8.1: Thermal Treatment of General and Hazardous Waste

 

Description:

Facilities where general and hazardous waste are treated by the application of heat.

Application:

All installations treating 10 Kg per day of waste.

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant

status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of 273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical

symbol

Particulate matter

N/A

New

10

Existing

25

Carbon monoxide

CO

New

50

Existing

75

Sulphur dioxide

SO2

New

50

Existing

50

Oxides of nitrogen

NOx

expressed

as NO2

New

200

Existing

200

Hydrogen chloride

HCI

New

10

Existing

10

Hydrogen fluoride

HF

New

1

Existing

1

Sum of Lead,

arsenic, antimony,

 chromium, cobalt,

copper, manganese,

nickel and vanadium

Pb+ As+ Sb+ Cr+ Co+ Cu+ Mn+ Ni+ V

New

0.5

Existing

0.5

Mercury

Hg

New

0.05

Existing

0.05

Cadmium + Thallium

Cd + TI

New

0.05

Existing

0.05

Total organic

compounds

TOC

New

10

Existing

10

Ammonia

NH3

New

10

Existing

10

 



ng I-TEQ/Nm3 under normal conditions of 10% O2,  273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Dioxins and furans

PCDD/PCDF

New

0.1

Existing

0.1

 

(a) The following special arrangements shall apply—

 

(i) For pyrolysis, reference oxygen content does not apply.
(ii) The facility shall be designed, equipped, built and operated in such a way so as to prevent the emissions into the air giving rise to significant ground-level air pollution (i.e. leading to the exceedance of an accepted ambient air quality threshold standard).
(iii) Monitoring equipment shall be installed and acceptable techniques used in order to accurately monitor the parameters, conditions and mass concentrations relevant to the co-processing of AFR and incineration of waste.
(iv) All continuous, on-line emission monitoring results must be reported as a Daily Average concentration expressed as mg/Nm3, and at 'normalised' conditions of 10% O2, 101.3 kPa, 273 K / 0 °C,dry gas.
(v) Discontinuous (periodic) emission monitoring results must be expressed as mg/Nm3, or ng/Nm3 1-TEQ for PCDD/PCDF, and at 'normalised' conditions of 10% O2, 101.3 kPa, 273 K / 0 °C, dry gas.
(vi) Exit gas temperatures must be maintained below 200 °C.
(vii) Pollution control devices (exhaust gas cooling and bag filter or ESP) must have a daily availability of 98% (i.e. maximum downtime of 2% or 30 minutes per running 24 hours). The cumulative annual downtime (total downtime over a one year period) may however not exceed 60 hours (0.685 % per annum).
(viii) Continuous, on-line measurement of the following emissions and operating parameters is required:

 

Particulate matter (total particulate);
02;
CO;
NOx;
SO2;
HCI;
HF;
VOC/TOC;
Emission exhaust volume (e.g. Nm3/hr) and flow rate (e.g. m/s);
Water vapour content of exhaust gas (humidity);
Exhaust gas temperature;
Internal process temperature/s;
Pressure; and
Availability of air pollution control equipment (including exit gas cooling).

 

(ix) Appropriate installation and functioning of automated, continuous monitoring equipment for emissions to air; which are subject to quality control and to an annual surveillance test. Independent accredited calibration must be undertaken by means of parallel measurements with the reference methods, at a frequency as per the requirements of the equipment, but as a minimum every 3 years.
(x) Periodic measurements of heavy metals and dioxin and furan emissions must be undertaken, using national (if available) or internationally acceptable methods, by independent/external, accredited specialists twice during the first 12 months of waste incineration/AFR co-processing, and annually thereafter.
(xi) Average emission values for heavy metals are to be measured over a minimum sample period of 60 minutes to obtain a representative sample, and a maximum of 8 hours, and the average values for dioxins and furans (expressed as 1-TEQ) over a sample period of a minimum of 60 minutes and maximum of 8 hours.
(xii) Periodic measurements of heavy metals and dioxins and furans are to be carried out representatively to provide accurate and scientifically correct emission data and results, and sampling and analysis must be carried out by independent, accredited laboratories.
(xiii) To ensure valid monitoring results are obtained, no more than five half-hourly average values in any day, and no more than ten daily average values per year, may be discarded due to malfunction or maintenance of the continuous measurement system.
(xiv) All measurement results must be recorded, processed and presented in an appropriate manner in a Quarterly Emissions Monitoring Report in order to enable verification of compliance with permitted operating conditions and air emission standards. Quarterly Emission Monitoring Reports must include, amongst others:

 

Daily average results of all continuous, on-line emission monitoring parameters, reported on line graphs that include individual, daily average data points, and indicating the relevant air emission limit if applicable;
Results of all continuous, on-line operational monitoring parameters, reported on line graphs that correspond in scale with the emission monitoring results;
Results of periodic emission measurements of heavy metals, and dioxins and furans;
Confirmation of residence times and temperatures of specific wastes co-processed as determined by the specific feed points, plant dimensions and material and gas flow rates;
Discussion on availability or air pollution control equipment, together with reasons for and management of downtime;
All relevant results must be compared with baseline measurements taken prior to the co-processing of AFR or hazardous waste; and
Detailed evaluation and discussion of any non-compliance during the reporting period.

 

(xv) Treatment of High Level POPs Containing Waste (as defined by the Stockholm and Basel Conventions) are to be preceded by an independently monitored Performance Verification Test to determine the Destruction Efficiency (DE) and Destruction and Removal Efficiency (DRE) of principal organic hazardous compounds (POHC) using a suitable verification compound (e.g. trichloroethane) .
(xvi) A plan for conducting a Performance Verification Test must be submitted to the relevant Government Department/s at least 3 months prior to the commencement of such a test, and must include, amongst others, the following:

 

Motivation for why the plant should be used for treatment of High Level POPs;
A feasibility study showing that the plant is technically qualified;
Planned date for commencement of the test and expected duration;
Details on the waste to be co-processed during the test, including source, volume, composition etc.;
Motivation for the particular choice of waste and its suitability in providing an accurate and representative indication of the plant's DE and DRE, and therefore suitability to treat High Level POPs Containing Waste;
Extension of monitoring regime to include Chlorobenzenes, HCB, PCBs, Benzene, Toluene, Xylenes, PAHs, and NH3;
Monitoring and analysis to be conducted, the associated methodologies and independent parties responsible for monitoring.

 

(xvii) A detailed, independent report documenting and interpreting the results of the Performance Verification Test must be compiled. As a minimum, a DE/DRE of 99.9999% would be required, as well as compliance with Air Emission Standards.
(xviii) An Air Quality Improvement Plan for achieving emission limits over time must be developed if transitional arrangements apply to compliance with emission standards.
(xix) Compliance time frames for health care risk waste incineration will be as specified in paragraphs (8); (9); and (10) unless specific compliance time frames for health care risk waste incineration have been set under health care risk waste regulations, in which case, the specific compliance time frames for health care risk waste incineration set under health care risk waste regulations shall apply.
(xx) Continuous emission monitoring for Health Care Risk Incinerators shall be complied with by 31 March 2014.
(xxi) Combustion of solid, liquid and gaseous waste materials in installations primarily used for steam for steam raising or electricity generation must comply with the emission standards of this sub-category.

 

(2) Subcategory 8.2: Crematoria and Veterinary Waste Incineration

 

Description:

Cremation of human remains, companion animals (pets) and the incineration of veterinary waste.

Application:

All installations

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant

status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of

273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical

symbol

Particulate matter

N/A

 

New

40

Existing

250

Carbon monoxide

CO

New

75

Existing

150

Oxides of nitrogen

NOx expressed

as NO2

New

500

Existing

1000

Mercury (Applicable to human cremation only)

Hg

New

0.05

Existing

0.05

 

(3) Subcategory 8.3: Burning Grounds

 

Description:

Facilities where waste material from the manufacture of explosives and contaminated explosive packaging material are destroyed.

Application:

All installations disposing of more than 100kg of material per week

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant

status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of

273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical

symbol

Dust fall

N/A

 

New

a

Existing

a

Sulphur dioxide

SO2

New

b

Existing

b

athree months running average not to exceed limit value for adjacent land use according to dust control regulations promulgated in terms of section 32 of the NEM: AQA, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004), in eight principal wind directions.

bTwelve months running average not to exceed limit value as per GN 1210 of 24 December 2009.

Passive diffusive measurement approved by the licensing authority carried out monthly.

 

(4) Subcategory 8.4: Drum Recycling Processes

 

Description:

The process in which used drums are reconditioned by the application of heat.

Application:

All installations.

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant

status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of

273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical

symbol

Particulate matter

N/A

New

10

Existing

25

Carbon monoxide

CO

New

50

Existing

75

Sulphur dioxide

SO2

New

50

Existing

50

Oxides of nitrogen

NOx

expressed

as NO2

New

200

Existing

200

Hydrogen chloride

HCI

New

10

Existing

10

Hydrogen fluoride

HF

New

1

Existing

1

Sum of Lead,

arsenic, antimony,

 chromium, cobalt,

copper, manganese,

nickel and vanadium

Pb+ As+ Sb+ Cr+ Co+ Cu+ Mn+ Ni+ V

New

0.5

Existing

0.5

Mercury

Hg

New

0.05

Existing

0.05

Cadmium + Thallium

Cd + TI

New

0.05

Existing

0.05

Total organic

compounds

TOC

New

10

Existing

10

Ammonia

NH3

New

10

Existing

10

 



ng I-TEQ/Nm3 under normal conditions

of 10% O2,  273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Dioxins and furans

PCDD/PCDF

New

0.1

Existing

0.1