Zhejiang will fully implement the special emission limits of air pollutants

What is the special emission limit? Mainly aims at the more stringent emission limits set for sensitive areas where the land development density has been high, the environmental carrying capacity has begun to weaken, or the atmospheric environmental capacity is small, the ecological environment is fragile, and serious air pollution problems are prone to occur. The implementation of the special emission limits of the national emission standards is conducive to the further strict management of pollution sources, the reduction of pollutant emissions, and the further improvement of environmental air quality in Zhejiang Province. It is also conducive to the promotion of online coatingol.com, which integrates environmental protection standards in the Yangtze River Delta region. 

Among the national emission standards that have been implemented, 25 have set special emission limits for atmospheric pollutants, including thermal power, iron and steel (iron ore, iron and steel sintering, pellets, iron-making, steel-making, rolling, ferroalloy), petrochemical (coking chemistry, petroleum refining, petrochemical, synthetic resin, caustic soda, polyvinyl chloride, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, inorganic chemistry). Non-ferrous metals (Aluminium industry, lead, zinc industry, copper, nickel, cobalt industry, magnesium, titanium industry, rare earth industry, vanadium industry, tin, antimony, mercury industry, recycled copper, aluminium, lead, zinc industry), cement, boiler and other standards. Recently, the Ministry of Ecological Environment and the State Administration of Market Supervision have issued three national standards for the control of atmospheric pollutant emissions, namely, those for pharmaceuticals, coatings, inks, adhesives and volatile organic compounds, which will be implemented on July 1, 2019. According to the requirements of the Notice, enterprises involved in Zhejiang Province should also implement the special emission limits stipulated in the three standards, and the implementation time should be synchronized with the implementation time of the emission standards. Is this the first time that special emission limits of atmospheric pollutants have been implemented in Zhejiang Province?

As early as 2013, some areas of Zhejiang Province had implemented the special emission limits of national emission standards for air pollutants, which were limited to five cities around Hangzhou Bay, such as Hangzhou, Ningbo, Huzhou, Jiaxing and Shaoxing. According to the provisions of the State Council's "Three-year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense War", the special emission limits of atmospheric pollutants are required to be fully implemented in key areas such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Zhejiang Province is listed as a key area. Therefore, the provincial level is the first time to fully implement the special emission limits of atmospheric pollutants.

Firstly, it has a wider geographical scope, extending from the original five cities around Hangzhou Bay to the whole province. Second, the pollutants are clearer. Existing enterprises (projects) implement SO2, NOX, particulate matter and VOCs. New enterprises (projects) implement the special emission limits of all air pollutants stipulated in the national emission standards. In particular, volatile organic compounds are not single pollutant indicators, but all pollutant indicators that meet the definition of volatile organic compounds, including not only non-methane total hydrocarbons, total volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, benzene series and other pollutant indicators that meet the definition of volatile organic compounds should also be implemented. Thirdly, more industries are involved, such as coal-fired boilers, which were originally stipulated by boilers, while the Notice covers all boilers (including fuel oil and gas); fourthly, it strengthens the connection with local emission standards. The special emission limits of coal-fired units in Zhejiang landmark "Discharge Standards for Atmospheric Pollutants from Coal-fired Power Plants" (DB33/2147-2018) are stricter than those in the national standard "Discharge Standards for Atmospheric Pollutants from Thermal Power Plants" (GB 13223-2011). Therefore, coal-fired power plants give priority to the implementation of DB 33/2147-2018 local emission standards. Should the special emission limits of atmospheric pollutants in the newly issued national emission standards also be implemented? What is the execution time?

 The Notice specifies that for industries that have not yet stipulated the special emission limits of atmospheric pollutants, the corresponding special emission limits of atmospheric pollutants shall be implemented after the corresponding national emission standards have been revised or revised, and the implementation time shall be consistent with the time in the national emission standards or amendment orders. New standards such as those mentioned above for the control of inorganic emissions of pharmaceuticals, coatings, inks, adhesives and volatile organic compounds. Should the special atmospheric emission limits in Zhejiang local emission standards be implemented simultaneously? "Notice" is the implementation of the special emission limits of atmospheric pollutants in national emission standards, and does not involve the special emission limits of atmospheric pollutants in local emission standards for the time being. If the people's governments of the districts and municipalities need to implement the special emission limits in the local emission standards, they may implement them in accordance with the existing procedures.

What if there is a cross between the industrial air pollutant emission standards promulgated by the state and the current local industrial air pollutant emission standards?

In short, it is to implement stricter standards. Although local emission standards are always stricter than national emission standards in formulation, some landmark indicators may be looser than national standards in a short time when new national standards are issued or revised later. Therefore, the following national emission standards for atmospheric pollutants do not include specific emission limits and indicators and/or local emission standards that are strict with the requirements of local emission standards.