Information on emissions of pollutants into the atmospheric air

1. Who keeps records of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere?

Records of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere are kept by all business entities engaged in economic and other activities related to emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere, regardless of whether they have a permit for emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere or a comprehensive environmental permit.

1. Is it necessary to keep records of emissions from non-regulated emission sources?

Records of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere are kept from all stationary emission sources, including non-regulated ones.

In this case, according to the approaches to keeping records of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere from stationary emission sources using the instrumental or calculation-instrumental method (POD-2) using data from the project of permissible emission standards, this method is applied to regulated emission sources. Accordingly, records of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere from non-regulated emission sources should be kept using the calculation method in the POD-1 logbook.

1. How to determine the method for keeping emission records?

The method for keeping emission records (calculation, instrumental, or calculation-instrumental) is determined directly by the business entity itself.

At the same time, it is advisable to account for emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere from stationary emission sources using the same method that was used during the inventory of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. Approaches to selecting the method for conducting emission inventories are defined in Chapter 3 of the Regulation on the Procedure for Conducting Inventories of Emissions of Pollutants into the Atmosphere, approved by Resolution of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus No. 33 of December 27, 2023.

In the event that an automated system for monitoring emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere (ASK) is installed at the emission source, filling out the POD-2 log for accounting for emissions of pollutants, which are monitored continuously, is not required.

1. What method should be used for emission accounting if sampling and measurements are carried out at the emission source once a year?

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, if sampling and measurements of atmospheric air pollutant emissions from a stationary emission source are carried out once a year, it is advisable to account for emissions from such a source using the calculation method, filling out the POD-1 logbook.

1. When accounting using the instrumental or instrumental-calculation method, for what period is the measurement protocol valid?

When accounting for atmospheric air pollutant emissions using the instrumental or calculation-instrumental method with the completion of the POD-2 logbook, the protocol for measuring atmospheric air pollutant emissions from stationary emission sources is valid for the month in which sampling and measurements were carried out, and the subsequent month(s) of the reporting quarter.

Please note that measurement protocols from the state institution "Republican Center for Analytical Control in the Field of Environmental Protection" may also be used for emission accounting.

1. Should emission accounting for atmospheric air pollutants be carried out based on the "total organic carbon" indicator or individual volatile organic compounds?

Accounting for atmospheric air pollutant emissions from stationary emission sources should be carried out for those pollutants (or summary indicators) for which permissible emission limits are established in the permit for emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere or in the integrated environmental permit, namely:

if a permissible emission limit is established for total organic carbon, emission accounting should also be carried out for this indicator;

if permissible emission limits are established for individual volatile organic compounds, emission accounting should be carried out for each such compound.

1. What calculation methodologies should be used when accounting for emissions using the calculation method?

 When accounting for emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere using a calculation method, the same technical regulatory legal