LOCAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING: SURVEY, ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF POLLUTING SOURCES AT A MUNICIPAL SCALE

Abstract

This study describes the project developed by the Municipality of Maniago (Pordenone) to survey, organize and analyze data on local industrial emissions. Data have been gathered examining open access authorization documents and emission test reports. These data have been used to build a data base including the list of relevant emission sources (those regulated by law) and their consistency (maximum allowed flow rate and pollutant concentration emission limit). These quantities are used to define the scenario of “maximum authorized emission”, which is the worst emission condition compatible with the environmental authorization in place. Analyzing the environmental impact under these conditions is conservative for air quality evaluation because, by law, worse conditions cannot occur. This scenario has been adopted as a reference to evaluate the environmental margin for the sustainability of new settlements. A local scale, pollutant transport and dispersion model has been implemented to link (present and future) industrial pollutant emissions with impacts produced. The model can be exploited in a systematic way to assess the opportunity/risks associated with settling up new companies and to identify the best strategies to manage environmental problems such as the exceedance of critical thresholds by specific pollutants.