In compliance with the Protocol on PRTR, the Ordinance contains a list of pollutants whose release into the environment must be reported each year if the pollutant quantities exceed the thresholds laid down in the Ordinance. These pollutants include particulate matter, CO2 and heavy metals. In addition, transfers of waste and transfers of pollutants in waste water must be reported if certain thresholds are exceeded. The new Register creates transparency and can also help the management of companies, for example, to decide on how to improve their eco-efficiency and productivity, as well as allowing government authorities and the general public to make a comparison of national, regional and local releases.
Various industries are affected
In Switzerland, the new Ordinance affects some 100 large and medium-sized facilities. These include facilities operating in the chemical, metal and mineral industries, in waste and waste water management and in the intensive rearing of livestock; most SMEs, on the other hand, are not affected. In addition to the data from facilities (specific sources), information on releases of pollutants from diffuse sources are also recorded in the Register. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) will be responsible for maintaining the PRTR. It will make the data accessible online. Facilities located in Switzerland perform well in environmental terms by international comparison.
The PRTR enables them to compare their performance with other facilities and to pinpoint and remedy weaknesses. The introduction of a PRTR has proven to be an efficient instrument in environmental policy in other countries. In the USA, for example, the pollutant figures for facilities subject to the reporting requirement have fallen substantially since the introduction of a PRTR there.
In the hearings on the new ordinance, the views of participants were predominantly positive. It is however a concern for the business sector and the cantons that the administrative costs are kept as low as possible and that any duplication of work is avoided.
Calculations and estimates are permitted
The cost to the facilities should be as low as possible. Accordingly, it is planned that the following general conditions will apply:
- The Swiss PRTR is simpler and less extensive than the registers in the EU and the USA. The list of pollutants in the Ordinance comprises only the 86 pollutants listed in the PRTR Protocol with their corresponding thresholds.
- Exact measurement data certainly provide the most reliable values, but they are the most expensive to obtain in financial terms. Therefore the PRTR expressly allows calculations or estimates of the releases and transfers to be made as well.
- Facilities can enter the data themselves. They will also be able to request the FOEN to enter the data if they have already reported the data to the Confederation for other purposes.
The FOEN, in cooperation with the Swiss Chemical Industry and a number of facilities has already conducted two PRTR pilot projects. These indicated that a PRTR can be operated in Switzerland at a reasonable cost (see links below).
Information
• Georg Karlaganis, Substances, Soil and Biotechnology Division,
FOEN, Tel. 079 415 99 62
• Hans Peter Saxer, Substances, Soil and Biotechnology Division,
FOEN, Tel. 031 322 93 84
Annexes
• PRTR Ordinance
http://www.bafu.admin.ch/dokumentation/medieninformation/00962/index.html?lang=en&msg-id=9736
Internet
• FOEN website:
http://www.bafu.admin.ch/chemikalien/01389/01401/index.html?lang=en
• UNECE PRTR Protocol: www.unece.org/env/pp/prtr.htm
• Publication “Nationales Schadstoff-Emissionsregister. Pilotprojekt SwissPER. Situationsbericht.
SAEFL, 2004”:
http://www.umwelt-schweiz.ch/publikationen search “SRU-362-D”
