INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORIZATION IN WASTEWATER AND AQUEOUS WASTE TREATMENT PLANTS

Abstract

The Legislative Decree 4 March 2014, n. 46 (implementation of the EU Directive 2010/75/EU, also known as IED – Industrial Emissions Directive) introduces significant changes in the application and release of Integrated Environmental Authorization (IEA).

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are usually not subject to the IEA regime. However, the plants for hazardous waste disposal/recovery (such as aqueous waste treatment facilities) and the plants for non-hazardous waste disposal (such as municipal WWTPs that receive aqueous waste) fall within this context.

Since 2009, the group “Integrated Environmental Authorization in wastewater treatment plants” has been operating within the working group “water treatment plant management” (GdL) of University of Brescia. The aim of this group is to analyze the regulatory, legal and technical aspects of the IEA, by means of a comparison between the case studies concerning the application of IEA to wastewater and aqueous waste treatment plants. The first results of the activity were shown in two conferences at the University of Brescia (in December 2011 and February 2013) and were published in the book “Integrated Environmental Authorization: wastewater and aqueous waste treatment plants” (CIPA Publisher, 2012).

The most recent activity has tried to highlight, through the analysis of case studies, positive aspects and critical issues in the application of IEA in wastewater treatment plants, and to identify the main differences between the methodologies adopted by the different Regions, concerning BAT, monitoring plans and environmental performance indicators. The main results are contained in the book “Integrated Environmental Authorization. Proposals to optimize its application in wastewater and aqueous waste treatment plants” (Maggioli Publisher, 2018).

This note summarizes the contents of the presentations and the conclusions of the panel discussed during the 56^th conference on “Integrated Environmental Authorization in wastewater/aqueous waste treatment plants”, held in Brescia on 28^th November 2018.