Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2019
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Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2019
Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2019
1 Short title
This policy may be cited as the
Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2019 .
2 Commencement
This policy commences on 1 September 2019.
3 Definitions
The dictionary in schedule 2 defines particular words used in this policy.
4 Application
This policy applies to the air environment.
5 Purpose
(1) The purpose of this policy is to achieve the object of the Act in relation to the air environment.
Note—
See section 3 of the Act .
(2) The purpose is achieved by— (a) identifying environmental values to be enhanced or protected; and
(b) stating indicators and air quality objectives for enhancing or protecting the environmental values; and
(c) providing a framework for making consistent, equitable and informed decisions about the air environment.
6 Environmental values
The environmental values to be enhanced or protected under this policy are— (a) the qualities of the air environment that are conducive to protecting the health and biodiversity of ecosystems; and
(b) the qualities of the air environment that are conducive to human health and wellbeing; and
(c) the qualities of the air environment that are conducive to protecting the aesthetics of the environment, including the appearance of buildings, structures and other property; and
(d) the qualities of the air environment that are conducive to protecting agricultural use of the environment.
7 Air quality objectives for indicators
(1) This section and schedule 1 state the air quality objectives to be achieved and maintained under this policy.
(2) An air quality objective stated in schedule 1 , column 3 for an indicator stated in column 1 and for a period stated in column 4 is stated for enhancing or protecting the environmental value stated in column 2 of the schedule for the objective.
(3) An air quality objective stated in schedule 1 , column 3 must be worked out as an average over the period stated in column 4 for the objective.
(4) It is intended that the air quality objectives be progressively achieved as part of achieving the purpose of this policy over the long term.
(5) This section does not apply to an air emission that may be experienced within a residence or workplace if the air emission is released within the residence or workplace.
(6) In this section—
workplace
see the
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 , section 8 .
s 7 amd 2024 SL No. 186
s 4
8 Management hierarchy for air emissions
(1) This section states the management hierarchy for an activity involving air emissions that affect, or may affect, an environmental value to be enhanced or protected under this policy.
Note—
See section 35 of the
Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 .
(2) To the extent that it is reasonable to do so, air emissions must be dealt with in the following order of preference— (a) firstly—avoid air emissions;
Example for paragraph (a)—
using technology that avoids air emissions
(b) secondly—recycle air emissions;
Example for paragraph (b)——
re-using air emissions in another industrial process
(c) thirdly—minimise air emissions;
Example for paragraph (c)—
using technology, materials or industrial processes that minimise air emissions
(d) fourthly—manage air emissions.
Examples for paragraph (d)—
• locating a thing that releases air emissions in a suitable area to minimise the impact of the air emissions
• treating air emissions before release
• dispersing air emissions to minimise the impact of the air emissions
9 Repeal
The
Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2008 , SL No. 441 is repealed.
Schedule 1
Air quality objectives
section 7
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Indicator
Environmental value
Air quality objectives
Period
µg/m
3
(except where noted)
ppm (volume/volume)
1.2-dichloroethane
health and wellbeing
764
0.173
24 hours
1.3-butadiene
health and wellbeing
2.4
0.001
1 year
arsenic and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM 10 )
health and wellbeing
6ng/m 3
1 year
benzene
health and wellbeing
5.4
0.002
1 year
benzo(a)pyrene (as a marker for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
health and wellbeing
0.3ng/m 3
1 year
cadmium and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM 10 )
health and wellbeing
5ng/m 3
1 year
carbon disulfide
health and wellbeing
109
0.032
24 hours
protecting aesthetic environment
22
0.006
30 minutes
carbon monoxide
health and wellbeing
11mg/m 3
9
8 hours
dichloromethane
health and wellbeing
3.3mg/m 3
0.9
24 hours
0.49mg/m 3
0.13
1 week
fluoride
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (other than protected areas)
2.9
24 hours
0.84
30 days
0.5
90 days
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (for protected areas)
0.1
90 days
protecting agriculture
1.5
24 hours
0.4
30 days
0.25
90 days
formaldehyde
health and wellbeing
54
0.04
24 hours
protecting aesthetic environment
109
0.082
30 minutes
hydrogen sulfide
health and wellbeing
164
0.108
24 hours
protecting aesthetic environment
7.5
0.005
30 minutes
inorganic mercury vapour
health and wellbeing
1.1
1 year
lead and compounds (measured as the total metal content in total suspended particles)
health and wellbeing
0.5
1 year
manganese and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM 10 )
health and wellbeing
0.16
1 year
nickel and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM 10 )
health and wellbeing
22ng/m 3
1 year
nitrogen dioxide
health and wellbeing
164
0.08
1 hr
31
0.015
1 year
health and biodiversity of ecosystems
33
0.016
1 year
ozone
health and wellbeing
139
0.065
8 hours
ozone (measured as accumulated exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb during daylight hours)
protecting agriculture
0.2 ppm-hr
5 days
3 ppm-hr
3 months
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (for semi-natural vegetation)
3 ppm-hr
3 months
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (for natural or uncultivated areas)
10 ppm-hr
6 months
PM 2.5
health and wellbeing
20
24 hours
7
1 year
PM 10
health and wellbeing
50
24 hours
health and wellbeing
25
1 year
styrene
health and wellbeing
284
0.061
1 week
protecting aesthetic environment
76
0.016
30 minutes
sulfate
health and wellbeing
27
24 hours
sulfur dioxide
health and wellbeing
214
0.075
1 hr
57
0.02
24 hours
protecting agriculture
31
0.011
1 year
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (for forests and natural vegetation)
21
0.0075
1 year
tetrachloroethylene
health and wellbeing
0.27mg/m 3
0.037
1 year
protecting aesthetic environment
8.7mg/m 3
1.2
30 minutes
toluene
health and wellbeing
4.1mg/m 3
1
24 hours
400
0.1
1 year
protecting aesthetic environment
1.1mg/m 3
0.3
30 minutes
total suspended particles
health and wellbeing
90
1 year
vanadium and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM 10 )
health and wellbeing
1.1
24 hours
vinyl chloride monomer
health and wellbeing
28
0.010
24 hours
visibility reducing particles
protecting aesthetic environment
20km visibility in the air environment
1 hr
xylenes (as a total of ortho, meta and para isomers)
health and wellbeing
1.2mg/m 3
0.25
24 hours
950
0.2
1 year
sch 1 amd 2024 SL No. 186
s 5 ; 2024 SL No. 186
s 6
Schedule 2
Dictionary
section 3
air emission
means a substance released into the air.
air environment
means the part of the environment of an area or place characterised by the air emissions that may be experienced there.
air quality objective , for an area or place, means—
(a) for an air quality objective for an indicator that is the amount of the visibility in the air environment—the minimum amount of visibility that should be in the air environment of the area or place despite the presence of the indicator; or
(b) otherwise—the maximum level that an indicator should be in the air environment of the area or place.
equivalent aerodynamic diameter , in relation to a particle (a
measured particle ), means a length equivalent to the diameter of a spherical particle with a density of 1g/cm 3 that has the same settling velocity as the measured particle.
health and biodiversity of ecosystems
means the environmental value mentioned in section 6 (a).
health and wellbeing
means the environmental value mentioned in section 6 (b).
indicator
means a contaminant that may be present in the air environment.
mg/m 3
means milligram per cubic metre at 0 degrees Celsius and an atmospheric pressure of 1.
ng/m 3
means nanogram per cubic metre at 0 degrees Celsius and an atmospheric pressure of 1.
PM 2.5
means particles in the air environment with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter of not more than 2.5 microns.
PM 10
means particles in the air environment with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter of not more than 10 microns.
ppb
means parts for each billion.
ppm
means parts for each million.
ppm-hr , for an indicator, means the average concentration of the indicator measured in parts for each million, multiplied by the length of time in hours to which the average applies.
protected area
see the
Nature Conservation Act 1992 , schedule .
protecting aesthetic environment
means the environmental value mentioned in section 6 (c).
protecting agriculture
means the environmental value mentioned in section 6 (d).
residence
includes a building, or part of a building, capable of being used as a dwelling.
total suspended particles
means particles in the air environment with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter of less than 100 microns.
µg/m 3
means microgram per cubic metre at 0 degrees Celsius and an atmospheric pressure of 1.
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