Reduction of pollution caused by waste from the titanium dioxide industry
EU legislation on pollution caused by waste from the titanium dioxide industry is now governed by Directive 2010/75(EU) on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control).
Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control).
Titanium dioxide waste can give rise to serious air and water pollution. For this reason, Directive 2010/75/EU devotes a specific chapter to titanium dioxide waste and sets stringent limit values for emissions.
Prohibition of disposal of waste
The following forms of waste must not be disposed of into any water body, sea or ocean:
solid waste;
mother liquors arising from the filtration phase following hydrolysis of the titanyl sulphate solution from installations applying the sulphate process (containing overall more than 0.5 % free sulphuric acid);
waste from installations applying the chloride process (containing more than 0.5 % free hydrochloric acid and various heavy metals);
filtration salts, sludges and liquid waste arising from the treatment of the waste applying the two abovementioned processes and containing various heavy metals, but not including neutralised and filtered or decanted waste containing only traces of heavy metals and which, before any dilution, has a pH value above 5.5.
Control of emissions into water
Limit values are set for emissions into water (Annex VIII, Part 1).
Prevention and control of emissions into air
Emission of acid droplets from installations must be prevented.
Limit values are set for emissions into air (Annex VIII, Part 2).
Monitoring of emissions
EU member countries must ensure that emissions into water and air are monitored and that the conditions laid down in the installation’s permit to operate are fully met (e.g. preventive measures are taken against pollution; best available techniques (BATs) are applied; waste is reduced, recycled or disposed of in the least polluting manner; energy efficiency is maximised).
Monitoring must be carried out in accordance with CEN (or other recognised standards that ensure the provision of data of an equivalent scientific quality). Specifications regarding the monitoring process are included in Annex VIII, Part 3.
REFERENCES
Directive 2010/75/EU
Radioactive waste & spent fuel – safety rules
Directive 2011/70 – safe management of nuclear waste
Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom of 19 July 2011 establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste
It lays down:
—principles to guide national policies on radioactive waste and spent fuel from civilian nuclear activities,
—the scope of national legislative, regulatory and organisational frameworks,
—rules on disposal.
KEY POINTS
The directive requires EU countries’ national policies on radioactive waste and spent fuel to be based on the following principles:
—the amounts generated must be kept as low as possible,
—all steps in generation and management are interdependent,
—safety as a priority,
—generators must bear the full cost of all safety requirements,
—cision-making processes must be documented.
Each EU country is responsible for managing its own radioactive waste and spent fuel.
Each must implement a national legislative, regulatory and organisational framework for such material that includes:
—a national management programme,
—safety management measures,
—a licensing system for management activities,
—measures to enforce the safety requirements,
—assigned responsibilities for the different stages of management,
—public information and participation,
—adequate financing.
National management programme
This must include details of:
—overall policy objectives with clear time-frames,
—an inventory of spent fuel and radioactive waste, with estimates for future quantities,
—plans for the post-closure period of a disposal facility,
—assigned responsibilities for programme implementation,
—assessment of the costs of implementing a national programme,
—financing scheme(s),
—agreements concluded with other countries (inside or outside the EU),
—a transparent information policy.
Regulatory authority
This must function separately from producers and promoters of radioactive material and nuclear energy.
Licence system
Companies that handle nuclear waste must apply for a licence to do so. They then hold primary responsibility for its safe management.
To get a licence, a company must demonstrate that it can:
—safely set up, operate and decommission a nuclear facility,
—ensure that the post-closure phase of a facility is safe.
Periodic reviews
Every 10 years, each country must organise self-assessments and an international peer review of their national framework, regulatory authority and/or national programme, to ensure they all meet high safety standards.
Disposal
Radioactive waste must be disposed of in the country where it was generated, unless there are agreements with other countries.
If waste is shipped to a country outside the EU, responsibility for safety still rests with the EU country that generated it. That country must ensure that the country receiving the waste:
—has an agreement with the EU on how to properly handle radioactive waste/ spent fuel,
—has waste management and disposal programmes that comply with this directive’s safety standards,
—has authorised facilities in operation before the material is shipped.
REFERENCES
Directive 2011/70/Euratom
From 22 August 2011.