11 INDUSTRIES. Summary

Transcription

1 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries INDUSTRIES Summary The chapter on industries is intended to supplement the medium-focussed (air, water, waste, contaminated sites) approach to environmental control and thus take into account both an integration of environmental protection in the various areas of politics (5 th Environmental Action Programme 1 ) as well as the integrated, cross-media approach (as described, for example, in the Directives 85/337/EEC, 96/61/EC and 97/11/EC of the Council). The integrated, cross-media approach of the EU s environmental policy becomes particularly evident in the Directive of the Council of September 24, 1996, on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (96/61/EC, IPPC-Directive). The considerations of the IPPC-Directive state the following: Different approaches to controlling emissions into the air, water or soil separately may encourage the shifting of pollution between the various environmental media rather than protecting the environment as a whole. The goal of the integrated concept of environmental pollution reduction is to prevent emissions to air, water and land and to include measures concerning waste, and, where this is not practicable, to reduce them in order to achieve a high level of protection of the environment taken as a whole. The considerations specially emphasise the conformity of the integrated concept with the polluter pays and precautionary principle (Art. 174, EU Treaty of Amsterdam) that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source. On a technical level, the integrated approach of the IPPC Directive is put into concrete terms by way of non-binding European BAT reference documents (in accordance with Article 16, para 2 of the 96/61/EC Directive). These BAT reference documents (BREFs) give a mediaspecific listing of resource consumption and emissions to air, water and soil, including waste, in one document. An (integrated) evaluation is made more or less in the mode of consensus among experts. Notwithstanding multiple efforts 2, no success has been achieved as yet in giving cross-media evaluation criteria for the integrated approach a formal and/or concrete basis on the EU level. Nevertheless, the BREFs provide a solid basis of information through their listing of all resources consumed and emissions including waste broken down by industrial sectors. European 3 and Austrian 4 law provides a classification and regulation of the area of industries. In addition, the industries are classified in the statistical record of economic activities as well as the collection of data regarding consumption of resources, emissions, and waste. In the area of industrial environmental protection, several obligations to report resulting from environmental law are currently incompatible with the systems of economic statistics. 1 Communication from the Commission to the European Council of 27 May 1998 on a partnership for integration: A Strategy for Integrating the Environment into EU Policies, Cardiff June European Workshop on Cross-Media Assessment, Berlin, February 1998; Conference on the Seville Process, Stuttgart, April 2000; setting-up of a TWG (Technical working group on BAT) on costs and cross-media aspects, May Along with the IPPC Directive, the following directives of the European Union deal, among others, with the area of industries: Large Combustion Plant Directive 88/609/EEC, amended by 94/66/EC; Directive on the Incineration of Hazardous Waste 94/67/EC; Directive on the Incineration of Waste 2000/76/EC; Council Directive 85/337/ EEC on the Assessment of the Effects of Certain Public and Private Projects on the Environment; Directive 97/11/EC, amending Directive 88/337/EEC; Seveso II Directive 96/82/EC; and the Directive on the Limitation of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds 99/13/EC. 4 Gewerbeordnung (Industrial Code); Wasserrechtsgesetz (Water Act); Abfallwirtschaftsgesetz (Waste Management Act); UVP-Gesetz (Federal Act on Environmental Impact Assessment). Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria State of the Environment (2002)

2 120 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries In Austria, the producing sector has traditionally been divided into the areas of industry and commerce, which are correspondingly assigned to the Sections Industry and Commerce of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. Until 1995, Austria s economic activities were statistically recorded in the statistics on industries and large-scale commercial plants. Austria s accession to the European Union required an adjustment to the EU system. Since 1995, statistical data of the producing sector have been recorded under ÖNACE 1995, (NACE Rev. 1 5 ), the Austrian version of NACE, a systematic record of economic activities in Austria. As a consequence of various different systems of data collection and recording limits, it is generally difficult to trace back developments beyond The information given in the chapter on Industries of the Austrian State of the Environment Report is based to a large extent on data provided by the Austrian Central Office of Statistics, the Austrian Air Emission Inventory, the Water Quality Protection Report, the Federal Waste Management Plan, and the Waste Data Network, as well as on studies on the state of technology regarding the IPPC Directive for selected industrial sectors. In addition, environment reports, environmental declarations in accordance with EMAS (Environmental Management and Auditing System) regulations as well as internet publications of Austrian companies and professional associations were used as a data source. An integrated approach was taken in looking at the consumption of resources and emissions/waste, both for selected sectors and the entire area of industries. It was our aim to precisely define the area of industries by giving the legal or statistical basis used. The ordinances passed on the basis of the Gewerbeordnung (Industrial Code), Luftreinhaltegesetz für Kesselanlagen (Clean Air Act for Steam Boilers), Wasserrechtsgesetz (Water Act) and Abfallwirtschaftsgesetz (Waste Management Act), establishing concrete minimum requirements for technical standards and maximum permissible emissions as well as regulations as to their measurement, provide the legal basis for environmental protection in the industrial area. In several areas, the reduction of emissions can be traced back both in terms of time and quantity to the setting of concrete emission limits values for emissions and measurement regulations Industrial energy consumption An important component of the industrial energy situation is the final energy consumption. In 1998, the final industrial energy consumption amounted to an overall 276 PJ or 29.9 % of the entire Austrian final energy consumption. The most energy-consuming sectors are the production of pig iron and steel (32.6 %), the production of paper and cardboard (16.6 %), the production of goods from non-metallic minerals and the production and processing of glass (10.4 %), as well as the production of chemicals and chemical products (10.2 %). 5 In accordance with this European systematic record of economic activities, which is obligatory for all official statistics, the producing sector comprises the ÖNACE sections C (mining industry and extraction of non-metallic minerals), D (production of material goods), E (energy and water supply) and F (construction industry). These sections are subdivided into divisions (ÖNACE-two-digit divisions), with e. g. ÖNACE section D (production of material goods) comprising 23 divisions. These divisions (two-digits) are further subdivided into groups (three digits) and classes (four digits). State of the Environment (2002) Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria

3 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries 121 Production and processing of paper and cardboard 16.6 % Production of chemicals and chemical products 10.2 % Metal products 2.6% Production of rubber and plastics 2.7 % Treatment and processing of wood (excluding furniture) 3.7 % Production of food, beverages and luxury comestibles; processing of tobacco 6.6 % Production of goods from non-metallic minerals, production and treatment of glass, 10.4 % Others 14.5 % Production of pig iron, steel, ferro-alloys, and pipes, other first treatment of iron and steel 32.6 % Source: Statistik Austria Figure 1: Final energy consumption of producing sectors (ÖNACE C-E); status: The most important industrial final energy carriers are natural gas (24.6 %) and electricity (28.5 %). In 1998, about one third of the overall final electrical energy required in industry (24.7 PJ) was covered through self-supply. 6 Particularly in the paper industry and iron and steel production, but also in oil refining and the chemicals industry, electrical energy was produced by way of waste heat utilisation, incineration of waste (production residues of the paper industry or oil processing, among others), waste air (top gas or coke oven gas of the iron and steel industry), as well as the use of fossil fuels (mainly natural gas). In 1998, industrially produced long-distance energy (ÖNACE C-D, excluding energy suppliers) was almost entirely re-used for the industries own purposes. About 50 % of oil used by the industries used for purposes other than the generation of energy goes into oil-refining products (e. g. chemicals industry, plastics industry). Natural gas (e. g. for ammonia production) and liquid gas (propane and butane) are also used for purposes other than energy generation. In the future, the demand for efficient energy use will require closer inspection of industrial energy utilisation, including technological alternatives with regard to the definition of the technological state of the art Industrial water consumption The industries are the largest consumer of water in Austria, accounting for almost two thirds of the overall Austrian water demand (including cooling water). The latest general registration of industrial water consumption was made in 1994 as part of the industrial statistics for which data of all industrial enterprises were collected. According to this record, the sectors with the highest water demand were the production of iron and steel (about 41.5 %), the chemicals 6 Production of electrical energy by producers of material goods (ÖNACE C-D); the production of electrical energy by energy-supply companies (ÖNACE E) is not taken into account. Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria State of the Environment (2002)

4 122 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries industry (about 28.4 %), paper mills (about 15.6 %), and the food industry (3.6 %). The water consumption was registered on the basis of a quantitative approach, i. e. both the water demand met by outside suppliers (public water supply, ground- and well water and/or surface water of other enterprises) and the water demand covered through self-supply (self-drawn ground- and well water and/or surface water) were taken into account. In 1994, the overall industrial water consumption (including cooling water) was 1.36 million m 3. Stone and ceramics industry 1.5 % Chemicals industry 28.4 % Iron and metal goods industry 1.4 % Textile industry 0.9 % Food and luxury comestibles industry 3.4 % Glass industry 0.4 % Paper mills 15.6 % Iron production 41.5 % Others 6.6 %* Source: Statistik Austria * Mines, oil industry, paper mills, sawmills, wood processing industry, leather producing and processing industry, foundries, non-ferrous metal industry, machine and steel construction industry, automotive industry, electrical industry, clothing industry, gas and heat supply industry Figure 2: Water consumption broken down by industrial sectors (according to the professional associations) in 1994 Since Austria became a member of the European Union, water consumption has been registered on the basis of a value-oriented approach, i. e. only the water demand covered by outside suppliers is taken into account. Data collected later than 1995 give no evidence of the consumption of self-drawn surface, ground- and well water. In 1994, this share amounted to about 92.2 % of the overall water consumption. The Austrian Waste Water Emissions Ordinances relevant for the various industrial sectors contain requirements to reduce the amount of waste water, e. g. by way of water-saving processes or the creation of water circuits, which have an effect on the amount of water consumed. Whether these requirements will bring about a reduction of industrial water consumption cannot be ascertained at this point owing to the fact that the underlying data for the period vary widely. A reliable statement as to the actual water consumption and its development would require a registration of the water demand on a broad, quantity-oriented basis (i. e. self-supply plus outside supply). A value-oriented basis does not provide the basis needed for a realistic assessment. State of the Environment (2002) Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria

5 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries Waste water Since 1991, a number of waste water emissions ordinances have been passed for the various industrial sectors. These ordinances set maximum emission and discharge levels for certain waste water parameters. As a consequence of existing transition periods and a certain scope for discretion on the part of the authorities contained in the Water Act, there is a certain amount of flexibility in the implementation of the waste water emissions ordinances. An overall evaluation of waste water discharge in Austria, taking into account industrial waste water generation and discharge, was made in the Gewässerschutzbericht (Report on Water Protection in Austria, Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, 1999). This evaluation distinguishes between industrial waste water from direct and indirect industrial discharge. In the case of direct industrial discharge, waste water treatment takes place in an internal treatment plant. Indirect industrial discharge is treated in municipal sewage treatment plants, along with household waste waters. In registering the waste water generation and purification in Austria, the parameters of COD (chemical oxygen demand) and BOD 5 (biological oxygen demand), nitrogen, phosphorus, and sewage sludge as well as its disposal were taken into account. According to the Report on Water Protection in Austria, there are sound data for parameter COD, while the nitrogen and phosphorus balances are described as less reliable. In 1998, industrial COD load (direct and indirect discharge) into biological and mechanical sewage treatment plants amounted to 413,401 metric tons of COD. The COD load (into biological and mechanical sewage treatment plants) from direct discharge was 203,551 metric tons, i. e. about 49.2 % of the entire industrial COD load. The COD load of the industry discharging directly into running waters (without/after waste water treatment) amounted to 27,114 metric tons mostly waste waters from the paper and pulp industry, the sugar and food industry, and the chemicals industry. With regard to other components of waste water (e. g. AOX and metals) as well as their reduction, the available data are not sufficient at this point to allow a nation-wide evaluation. A reliable assessment would require more data on waste water and on waste water treatment. Future measures in the treatment of industrial waste waters will be the closing of internal circuits to reduce the amount of waste water, as well as the separate treatment and/or pre-treatment of partial flows to prevent diluting effects before their discharge into an internal of municipal sewage treatment plant. In a few cases, it will be necessary to build biological waste water treatment plants in order to be in keeping with state-of-the-art technologies in terms of waste water treatment Industrial ambient air pollutant emissions The industries 7 account for a significant share of the overall emissions of a number of pollutants, such as SO 2, CO 2, NMVOC, CH 4, CO, and NO x, as well as for a major share of emissions in the field of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and dioxin. Thermal and combined heating and power stations (SNAP 1) mainly contribute to emissions of SO 2, NO X, CO 2, and the heavy metal emissions Cd and Hg (RITTER et al., 2000). 7 The following groups of emitters (SNAP Code, standardised list of polluters) were classed under the term industries : industrial-pyrogenic emissions (SNAP 3); industrial process emissions (SNAP 4); fuel extraction and distribution chain (SNAP 5), emissions from solvents (SNAP 6); waste treatment and landfills (SNAP 9). Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria State of the Environment (2002)

6 124 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries Since 1990, and particularly in the early 1990s, industrial emissions of SO 2 and heavy metals have been significantly reduced. The emission limits stipulated in ordinances or obligations demanded the desulphurisation (and/or change of fuel) as well as the dust-extraction of waste gases. A concomitant reduction of heavy metals was achieved. Other pollutants (NO X, NMVOC, and CO) were also reduced particularly in the early 1990s. Over the period of 1995 to 1999, only slight reductions, and with regard to some air pollutants even a stagnation or slight increase have been observed. t/a SO 2 emissionen t/a NO x emissionen mio. t/a CO 2 emissionen thermal and comb. heating power stations industry thermal and comb. heating power stations industry thermal and comb. heating power stations industry Figure 3: Industrial emissions (SNAP-Code 3,4,5, 6, and 9) and emissions from thermal and combined heating and power stations (SNAP-Code 1) in the years 1990, 1995, 1998, and 1999 (acc. to RITTER et al., 2000) The figure shows that over the last ten years, the reduction of the share of the air pollutants NO X and SO 2 from thermal and combined heating and power stations (NO X : 43 %; SO 2 : 73 %) was higher than the reduction of the share of air pollutants from industrial sources (NO X : 17 %; SO 2 : 46 %). This is not least due to the requirements of the Luftreinhaltegesetz für Kesselanlagen (LRG-K;Clean Air Act for Steam Boilers ), which are stricter and more comprehensive than the ordinances covering industrial sectors and which generally apply to thermal and combined heat and power plants. Between 1995 and 1999, a stagnation or even slight increase in air pollutants emissions can be observed. Among the most significant emitters of NO X in the Austrian producing sector are the cement industry, the pulp and paper industries, iron and steel production as well as oil refining. In these areas, a slight reduction or stagnation of emissions was observed between 1995 and NO X emissions, however, were significantly reduced in the areas of fertiliser and in particular of nitric acid production, which around the late 1980s were among the largest single emitters in Austria, as a consequence of revamp measures demanded by the authorities (changes in process technologies and catalytic reduction of NO X emissions). In several areas, it would be possible to achieve a reduction of NO X emissions by applying state-of-theart technologies. The use of catalytic reduction in high-temperature processes (e. g. in the cement, glass, iron and steel industries and in oil refining) would allow a significant reduction of NO X emissions to concentrations of mg/nm 3. The Federal Environment Agency has carried out cost estimates for the use of catalytic reduction technology in selected industrial sectors, with additional costs amounting to < 1 5 % of the production costs. Legal provisions State of the Environment (2002) Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria

7 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries 125 forcing these industrial sectors to use catalytic reduction technologies and/or a lowering of existing limits in order to reduce NO X emissions are currently not under consideration. Industrial CO 2 emissions in 1999 were somewhat above those of Significant emitters of CO 2 are in particular energy-intensive industries such as the production of iron and steel, oil refining, and the cement, paper and pulp production. The annual emissions of dioxins and furans in Austria amount to an approximate overall 52.3g I-TE/a 8, of which some 24 % can be ascribed to the industries. 9 As a consequence of emission limits set by way of legal provisions or authorities decisions emission reduction measures have been installed for waste incineration plants (limit: 0.1 ng l-te/nm 3 ), the secondary copper production and a sintering plant (Linz). In the paper and pulp industry chlorine bleaching was eliminated. These measures resulted in a significant reduction of dioxin emissions compared to Metal production is mainly responsible for dioxin emissions in the industrial area. A considerable share of dioxin emissions is attributed to a sintering plant, for which at this point no specific and effective dioxin reduction measures are foreseen, with the exception of de-dusting measures. A study by the Federal Environment Agency on measures to reduce dioxine emissions clearly demonstrates that it was possible to achieve a significant reduction of dioxine emissions mainly in those areas for which legal emission limits exist. It would thus be desirable to establish emission limits in accordance with the latest technologies for all dioxin-emitting plants. Emissions of mercury from the producing sector are due to the chlorine, iron and steel as well as cement production. Reduction of emissions over the last ten years is particularly due to the closing-down of a chlorine-production plant as well as the modification in the process of the currently only chlor-alkali-electrolysis. With regard to combustion in energy industries, the air pollutants SO 2 and NO X were significantly reduced between 1990 and This reduction can be traced back to effective measures to combat air emissions. The significant reduction of SO 2 and NO X is mainly due to the Clean Air Act for Steam Boilers (Federal Law Gazette No. 380/1988 as amended by Federal Law Gazette I No. 115/1997). This act led to an increased use of desulphurisation and denox processes in the area of steam boiler installations as well as a shift in fuels toward less sulphurous pollutants (e. g. natural gas). The implementation of the IPPC directive and the Large Combustion Plant directive into the Clean Air Act for Steam Boilers is currently in progress. The application of the regulations under the Clean Air Act for Steam Boilers as well as the Clean Air Ordinance for Steam Boiler Units to industrial steam boiler installations varied. The internal power plants of the iron and steel production sites in Linz and Donawitz, at which residual gases from production are fired, among others, are equipped with denox facilities (SCR). These power plants were brought up to the legal requirements under the Clear Air Act for Steam Boilers in the mid-90s. Limits of 300mg NO X /nm 3 were prescribed. With 700 mg/nm 3 of SO 2 (2,666 metric tons/a) and 551 mg/nm 3 of NO X (2,099 t/a), the heating and power plant II of Raffinerie Schwechat, permitted through written approval of the relevant authority, accounts for a high share of the emissions of Raffinerie Schwechat as well as the overall industrial emissions. Compared to the overall industrial SO 2 emissions, the share of the heating and power plant II is about 12 %. 8 Based on an assessment for 1994; current values differ only slightly. 9 A considerable share of dioxin emissions is allocated to small-scale firing installations as well as combustion sites in agriculture and forestry. A reduction of these emissions can be achieved by using clean fuels such as untreated wood, oil or gas and modern furnace technologies. Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria State of the Environment (2002)

8 126 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries 11.5 Generation and disposal of industrial waste The following considerations apply to industrial wastes: generation and/or prevention of wastes; internal storage and potential treatment before re-use or handing over for treatment or disposal; internal recycling and re-use in the production process; use of external wastes and used materials in the production process (e. g. waste glass, waste paper, scrap metal, raw material substitutes); internal and external use of wastes as fuel substitutes (e. g. paper industry, chip board industry, oil refining, cement industry); treatment of wastes in waste treatment plants. Both through the IPPC Directive and its implementation within the regulatory scope of the Industrial Code (Federal Law Gazette I No. 88/2000), certain waste incineration plants, waste treatment plants, and furnace and/or steam boiler installations (with and without co-firing of waste) are now within the scope of a regulation for industrial installations. Compared to the previous legal situation, this shift led to a blurring of legal borderlines between and to dual regulations for industrial plants and incineration and waste treatment plants. Wastes are specified as to their origin. In accordance with ÖNORM 2100, index numbers only give clues as to the origin of wastes if the index number is defined via the area of origin and/or industry. The Federal Waste Management Plan of 1998, the Austrian hazardous waste register, environment declarations, as well as waste management schemes of industrial sectors 10 and studies on the state of technology (e. g. secondary aluminium industry) provide a basis for information. There are reliable data on hazardous wastes owing to the notification duty and their registration in the hazardous waste register. The amount of non-hazardous waste, however, has not been registered or estimated. There is also a lack of knowledge regarding the kind and amount of wastes treated and used within a plant as the registration of hazardous wastes does not cover the in-house recycling and use of hazardous wastes. The co-incineration of wastes in industrial plants is currently practised in the paper and pulp industry, the wood-processing and sawing industry as well as the cement industry. While in the paper and pulp production as well as in wood processing and sawmills, mainly the wastes generated by internal processes are co-incineration (e. g. wood wastes and barks, paper fibre sludges and sewage sludges), the cement industry uses mainly external wastes such as waste oils and solvents, paper fibre residues as well as old tyres and plastic wastes. The use of wastes as substitute fuel in the cement industry has shown a marked increase over the last decade, and is expected to grow. As a consequence of current developments regarding BSE (mad cow disease), animal meal has been experimentally co-fired in thermal power plants and cement plants. In accordance with EU regulations on the incineration of hazardous wastes (Directive 94/67/ EC) as well as on the incineration of wastes (Directive 2000/76/EC), the share of waste gas resulting from the co-incineration of wastes in plants not primarily designed for waste incineration is not allowed to have a higher level of pollutant emissions. In accordance with the above directives, the co-incineration of wastes should take place under legally binding conditions, thus excluding an increase of pollutant emissions. From the point of view of preventive environmental protection, co-incineration plants ought to comply with equally strict requirements (in particular emission limits) as waste incineration plants. 10 E. g. waste management schemes for the food and luxury comestibles industry, leather wastes, paper and pulp industry, wood wastes, textile wastes, wastes from foundries, paints, medicinal wastes, and studies on the amounts of waste generated by the iron and steel industry as well as plastic wastes. State of the Environment (2002) Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria

9 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries Environmental impact assessments (EIA) for the industries 11 As of November 2000, the following environmental impact assessment procedures had been carried out (or were still in the process of being carried out) in the industries or in areas materially related to industrial activities (such as energy supply, waste water and waste treatment, mining and energy transport): Thermal waste treatment: 3 procedures; Landfills: 1 procedure District heating plants, combined heating and power plants, steam power plants: 4 procedures; Dredging: 2 procedures; Gas pipelines: 5 procedures. With regard to projects of material goods production (ÖNACE D) and waste water treatment, no EIA procedure had been carried out, and no environment impact statement submitted by November With an amendment to the Federal Act on Environmental Impact Assessment (Federal Law Gazette I No. 89/2000), the EU directive on a modification of the Environmental Impact Assessment (97/11/EC) was implemented. A significant modification contained in this amendment is the introduction of a simplified EIA process along with the existing EIA process. This simplified process is now to be applied in particular to projects of material goods production. This also applies to the construction of integrated iron and steel works for the production of pig iron and steel, oil refineries, paper industry plants, and integrated chemicals plants. Major changes introduced with the simplified procedure concern the data required for the environmental impact statement; a summarising evaluation instead of a comprehensive environmental impact expertise, as well as the introduction of locus standi for citizens initiatives rather than the right of participation for citizens initiatives. The amendment fundamentally increased the scope of processes to be subjected to an EIA. However, with regard to several projects, the threshold values demanding an EIA have been significantly raised compared to the original EIA Act (concerning, among others, quarries, intensive animal husbandry, thermal treatment of non-hazardous wastes). Also, the amended EIA Act no longer provides EIA criteria for chip boards, as opposed to the original EIA Act (Federal Law Gazette I No. 697/1993) Modifications through the amendment of the Industrial Code In the course of the amendment of the Industrial Code, Federal Law Gazette I No. 88/2000, the IPPC Directive 12 as well as the Seveso-II-Directive were implemented. The Industrial Code hence contains separate regulations on the approval and regular inspection of the IPPC plant facilities as listed in Annex 3 of the Industrial Code. 11 This definition refers to projects attributable to the industries or in material connection with industrial activities (including projects of waste management, energy management, incl. energy transport, and mining. Projects generally classified under infrastructure, agriculture and forestry, or water management are not considered. 12 In the course of the implementation of the IPPC Directive, the Waste Management Act was also amended (Federal Law Gazette I No. 89/2000). Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria State of the Environment (2002)

10 128 6 th Report on the State of the Environment in Austria 11. Industries The definition of the state of technology in Article 71a of the Industrial Code 13 was modified in the course of this amendment. According to Article 382 section 8, however, ordinances passed on the basis of former Article 71a are considered as passed invoking article 71a of the Federal Law Gazette 2000/88. There is currently no indication as to how the new definition of the state of technology of the Industrial Code will affect future regulations concerning emission limits. With regard to the implementation of the Seveso-II-Directive, it was noticed that despite the fact that the minimum standards of the Directive were taken over into the Industrial Code, an in some cases marked increase of quantitiy thresholds regarding the previous Störfallverordnung (ordinance on accidents) has occurred (Tables in Annex 5 of the Industrial Code) Conclusions In the industrial sector, there is a lack of data regarding water consumption, several waste water emission parameters, and non-hazardous wastes. In the cases of waste water emissions and non-hazardous wastes, these deficiencies are a consequence of the lack of a unified data collection system. In some cases, deficits resulted from the changed legal basis for statistical registration following Austria s accession to the European Union. As a result of the new classification of the producing sector (according to ÖNACE), the collection of data has considerably changed compared to previous systems. In many areas (e. g. the statistics on use of goods), the data collection is limited to larger plants and businesses. With regard to water consumption, the quantitative approach was replaced by a value-oriented approach, resulting in a reduction of statistical registration of water consumption to about 8 %. In the case of ambient air pollutants emissions, there are reliable data as a consequence of the obligation to report to the EU Commission as well as on the basis of the LRG-K (Clean Air Act for Steam Boilers). With regard to the period of time since 1990, the legal requirements of a reduction of emissions have resulted in a reduction of classic air pollutants between 1990 and Since then, emissions have stagnated. Any further reduction would require legally binding regulations and/or an adjustment of emission limits to the latest technologies. In particular, regulations demanding measures to reduce NO x and dioxin emissions in accordance with state-of-the-art technologies should be passed. With regard to the areas covered by the Industrial Code, a resolution of the Austrian Parliament of 12 July 1996 (E 19-NR/XX. GP.) called for ordinances in accordance with Article 82 of the Industrial Code on emissions from industrial plants, in particular printing plants, pulp and paper industry, chip board production, crude oil processing, iron and steel production, production of non-ferrous metals, cement industry, and glass industry. Of these, ordinances to limit emissions from printing plants, pulp and paper industry, chip board production, and crude oil processing have not yet been passed. The incineration of wastes in industrial plants shows a rising tendency The definition of the state of technology is to be made in particular on the basis of comparable processes, building and modes of operation, and the relationship between the expenditures necessary for the required technological measures for each trading or industrial sector, and the use thus achieved is to be taken into account with an eye to the interests deserving protection. State of the Environment (2002) Umweltbundesamt/Federal Environment Agency Austria