MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND NDU ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINE No. 31 Asphalt Plant Set Up Temporarily For The Purposes Of A Project By A Public Department 1.0 Purpose of guideline This environmental guideline for asphalt plant set up temporarily for the purposes of a project by a Public Department has been prepared by the Ministry of Environment & NDU to ensure that all environmental issues are duly taken into consideration by stakeholders. 2.0 Nature of development A temporary asphalt plant usually comprises the following main units: Aggregate Bins, Feeders, Weighting Systems, Cylindrical Rotating Drying & Mixing Drum, Heater,Bitumen Storage, Pollution Control Unit,Hot Mix Asphalt Storage and Truck Load-Out Facility. The production of hot mix asphalt involves the following stages: drying and heating of the fine and course aggregates, injection of molten bitumen into rotating drumsfollowed by mixing and coating with asphalt cement. 3.0 Potential impacts The major environmental issues associated with a temporary asphalt plant are noise, air pollution in the form of dust, gaseous emissionand odour, disposal of effluents and traffic implications. The different aspects, impacts and nuisances associated with asphalt production are listed below:- Activity Aspects Impacts/ Nuisances Construction phase - Site preparation - Generation of excavated soil, debris and construction wastes - Dumping into barelands and entrainment in water courses and drains - Noise, dust, mud and traffic impacts - Installation of machine units - Use of heavy machinery - Noise and visual impacts 1
Operation phase Production of asphalt -Fine and coarse aggregate storage -Use of heavy machinery including loaders for the loading and unloading of aggregates and hot mix asphalt -Combustion of diesel or gasoil for drying of aggregates and for maintaining bitumen at the required temperature -Spills of hydrocarbons, namely, HFO, Diesel, Bitumen, Lubricants and oil from lorries or mechanical part of plant and storage tanks. -Any spills or waste arising from the process and waste or left over from trucks. - Dust emissions - Noise and vibration -Mainly emission of SO x, CO, CO 2 and PM. - Odour -Risk of underground and surface water pollution -Dumping into barelands. Delivery activities 4.0 Siting of activity -used oil from maintenance and repairs of vehicles and machinery. - Movement of vehicles - Loading and unloading -Risk of underground and surface water pollution - Traffic impacts - Noise - Dust emissions - Exhaust fumes In accordance with the Planning Policy Guidance 2004 of the Ministry of Housing and Lands, the selected site shall satisfy a distance of:- up to 1 km from the settlement boundaries and sensitive land uses at least 50 m from the coastline at least 35 m from the river up to 1 km from a lake/reservoir. 2
5.0 Environmental Conditions The major environmental issues are noise, air, dust,odour and effluentsand the following conditions shall be observed: (i) All electric motors shall be housed in soundproof enclosures to keep noise level within permissible limits as per the Environment Protection (Environmental Standards for Noise) Regulations 1997. The noise exposure limits as per the above regulation are as follows: Industrial noise Neighbourhood noise 7:00 21:00 60*dB(A) Leq 7:00 18:00 60 db(a) Leq 21:00 7:00 55*dB(A) Leq 18:00-21:00 55 db(a) Leq 21:00 7:00 50 db(a) Leq * A tonal character adjustment of +5 db(a) should be applied to the measured value where the noise has a definite continuous note such as a whine or hiss. (ii) All emissions from the hot-mix asphalt plant and burners shall comply with the Environment Protection (Standards for Air) Regulations 1998.The stack emissions standards applicable to this undertaking are: Pollutant (i) Smoke (ii) Solid particles (iii) Sulphuric acid mist or sulphur trioxide (iv) Nitric acid or oxides of nitrogen (v) Carbon monoxide Standard Ringelmann No. 2 or equivalent opacity (not to exceed more that 5 minutes in any period of one hour) 200 mg/ m 3 120 mg/ m 3 as sulphur trioxide 1000 mg/ m 3 as nitrogen dioxide 1000 mg/ m 3 as carbon monoxide (iii)the asphalt plant shall be equipped with a scrubber or an odour control device and regularly maintained so as not to cause odour nuisances. (iv) The pollution control equipment shall be equipped with bag filters in order to trap the PM emissions. 3
(v) Necessary measures such as the installation of water sprinklers within the premisesshall be taken to suppress dust emissions. (vi) The working platform including the loading area shall be concreted and kept clean at all times. (vii) All wastewater shall be disposed to the satisfaction of the Wastewater Management Authority. (viii) Necessary bunded walls shall be provided around fuel and bitumen storage tanks to cater for any accidental spillage/leakage. A contingency plan as provided for under section 30 (3)(a) of the Environment Protection Act 2002 shall be prepared and implemented to combat any case of accidental spillage of fuels. (ix) All hazardous wastes shall be collected and disposed of as per Environment Protection (Standards for Hazardous Wastes) Regulations 2001. (x) Necessary measures shall be taken to prevent any hydrocarbon spills from lorries and storage tanks to infiltrate and contaminate the underground and surface waters during construction and operation phase. (xi) Solid wastes including any sludge shall be collected and disposed of to the satisfaction of the Ministry of Local Government. (xii) Any spills or left over of asphalt shall be recycled in the process or alternatively used in the maintenance of damaged roads/tracks and pot holes. (xiii) Necessary measures shall be taken during the site preparation, infrastructural works and operation phase so as not to cause any nuisance by way of noise, dust and odour. (xiv) The axle load of trucks entering and leaving the plant compound shall be in conformity with the Road Traffic Regulations. (xv) The site shall be reinstated at the end of the operation phase. (xvi) The Local Authority shall be informed in writing of the dates of commencement of works on site and operation of the activity for monitoring purposes. 4
6.0 Enforcement Under Section 13 of the Environment Protection Act 2002, the enforcing agencies for the different environmental medium or pollutants are as follows: S. No Environmental media/ Enforcing Agency pollutant 1 Noise and odour Ministry of Health and Quality of Life 2 Effluents Ministry of Renewable Energy &Public Utilities 3 Solid wastes Ministry of Local Government 4 Air pollution Ministry of Environment The above-mentioned enforcing agencies shall monitor compliance with the conditions falling under their purview. 7.0 Offences Any person who fails to comply with any regulations/standards referred to in this guideline shall commit an offence and shall: (i) on a first conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 50, 000 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. (ii) on a second or subsequent conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 100,000 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 8 years. For further information, please contact Information Counter, Department of Environment, Ground Floor Ken Lee Tower, 1, St Georges Street Port-Louis Tel: 203 6200-203 6210 Website : http://environment.gov.mu Email : menv@mail.gov.mu 5