28.04.11 The Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif) wants to incorporate a list of the most hazardous substances into the Pollution Regulation. This will ensure that all companies are bound by the same strict requirements for emissions of the most hazardous substances.
Criteria and objectives
The Climate and Pollution Agency has drafted a set of criteria for assessing which hazardouus substances should be given priority. This pertains for example to substances that are little degradable, that accumulate in living organisms, and that have serious, long-term effects on the public’s health or are extremely toxic for the environment.
It is a national target that emissions hazardous substances on the priority list should be halted or significantly reduced within 2020.
Approximately 30 substances or compounds are prioritized and registered in the priority list.
The list was first presented in the Report to the Storting No. 58 (1996–97): Miljøvernpolitikk for en bærekraftig
utvikling [Environmental policy for a sustainable future].
As a result of new information, further substances have subsequently been added to the list. In the coming years as well, new information might result in further substances being added to the list, due to these substances having properties that are seriously harmful to health and the environment.
"The proposal aims to help achieve the goal of reduced emissions of the most hazardous substances – the so-called generational goal," says Marit Kjeldby, Department Director at the Climate and Pollution Agency.
A clarification of the requirements
The proposed regulation will stipulate that no companies can emit such substances without express permission to do so.
"This will clarify what the most hazordous substances are, and it will ensure that the requirements regarding toxic substances are identical for all enterprises," says Marit Kjeldby.
The inclusion of new substances on the list, when warranted by new information, can thereby be enacted by amending the Pollution Regulation, which applies directly to all parties with a permit.
"Today this can only be achieved by changing each individual permit. The proposal will therefore result in significant administrative savings," Marit Kjeldby explains.
The proposal is not anticipated to have major economic consequences for the concerned companies.
Priority hazardous substances
The following chemical compounds are to be considered priority substances:
Abbreviations | |
Metals and metal compounds: | |
Arsenic and arsenic compounds | As and As compounds |
Lead and lead compounds | Pb and Pb compounds |
Cadmium and cadmium compounds | Cd and Cd compounds |
Chrome and chrome compounds | Cr and Cr compounds |
Mercury and mercury compounds | Hg and Hg compounds |
Organic compounds: | |
Brominated flame retardants: | |
Pentabromodiphenyl ethers (biphenyls, pentabromo derivative) | Penta-BDE |
Octabromodiphenyl ethers (biphenyls, octabromo derivative) | Okta-BDE, octa-BDE |
Decabromodiphenyl ethers (bis(pentabromophenyl) ether) | Deka-BDE, deca-BDE |
Hexabromocyclododecane | HBCDD |
Tetrabromobisphenol A (2.2`,6,6`-tetrabromo-4,4`isopropylidene diphenol) | TBBPA |
Chloric organic compounds: | |
1,2-dichloroetane | EDC |
Chlorinated dioxins and furans | Dioxins, PCDD/PCDF |
Hexachlorobenzene | HCB |
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins C10 - C13 (chlorinated alkane C10 - C13) | SCCP |
Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins C14 - C17 (chlorinated alkane C14 - C17) | MCCP |
Chlorinated alkylbenzenes | KAB |
Pentachlorophenol | PCF, PCP |
Polychlorinated biphenyls | PCB |
Surfactants: | |
Ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride | DTDMAC |
Distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride | DSDMAC |
Dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride | DHTMAC |
Trichlorobenzene | TCB |
Tetrachloroethene | PER |
Trichloroethene | TRI |
Triclosan (2,4,4'-Trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether) | |
Nitro-musk compounds: | |
Musk xylene | |
Alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates: | |
Nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates | NF, NP, NFE, NPE |
Octylphenol and octylphenol ethoxylates | OF, OP, OFE, OPE |
Dodecylphenol w. isomers | |
2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenol | |
Polyfluorinated organic compounds (PFCs) | |
Perfluorooctane sulfonate and compounds that contain perfluoroctane sulfonate | PFOS, PFOS-related compounds |
Perfluorooctanoic acid | PFOA |
Organotin compounds: | |
Tributyltin | TBT |
Triphenyltin | TFT, TPT |
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | |
PAH defined as per the Norwegian Standard (NS 9815) | PAH |
Diethylhexyl phtalate (bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) | DEHP |
Bisphenol A | BPA |
Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane | D5 |