SUMMARY OF THE 66TH ENVIRONMENTAL SANITARY ENGINEERING SEMINAR “AQUEOUS WASTE TREATMENT PLANTS: INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORIZATION AND APPLICATION OF BAT CONCLUSIONS”

Abstract

The Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1147 established the Conclusions on the Best Available Techniques (BATC) to be taken as a reference for the conditions of the Integrated Environmental Authorization (IEA) applicable to waste treatment. The Working Group "Management of Wastewater Treatment Plants" at the University of Brescia has been studying this topic for more than 15 years. The group has organized seminars and published books, the most notable of which was released in 2018 (“Integrated Environmental Authorization. Proposals to optimize its application in wastewater and aqueous waste treatment plants”, Maggioli Publisher). The main goal of the BAT conclusions is to improve the overall environmental performance of plants. This will be accomplished by adopting and updating Environmental Management Systems, creating process flow and discharge inventories with relative qualitative and quantitative characterization, and keeping an eye on process functional parameters and air and water emissions. During this conference, we intended to gather opinions from aqueous waste treatment plant operators about the use of BATC in the initial IEA issue or review. We also wanted to suggest a conversation with the relevant authorities, taking into consideration regional and national guidelines and policy documents.