Solvent Emissions (Scotland) Regulations 2004: guidance

Guidance on the Solvent Emissions (Scotland) Regulations 2004

4. SCOPE OF THE SER 2004

4.1 Summary of SED Activities

Schedule 1 to the SER 2004 creates a new Chapter 7 in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the PPC Regulations. Activities identified in Part B of the new Chapter 7 fall within the scope of the SED if the annual solvent consumption for that activity exceeds, or is likely to exceed, the specified threshold level.

Table 1 below reproduces these SED activities and corresponding solvent consumption thresholds.

Table 1: SED Activities and Consumption Thresholds

Activity	Solvent consumption threshold in tonnes/year
Heatset web offset printing	15
Publication rotogravure	25
Other rotogravure, flexography, rotary screen printing, laminating or varnishing units	15
Rotary screen printing on textile/cardboard	30
Surface cleaning using substances or preparations which because of their content of volatile organic compounds classified as carcinogens, mutagens or toxic to reproduction under Directive 67/548/EEC (1) are assigned or need to carry one or more of the risk phrases R45, R46, R49, R60 or R61, or halogenated volatile organic compounds which are assigned or need to carry the risk phrase R40	1
Other surface cleaning	2
Vehicle coating and vehicle refinishing	0.5
Coil coating	25
Other coating activities, including metal, plastic, textile (except rotary screen printing on textile), fabric, film and paper coating	5
Winding wire coating	5
Coating activity applied to wooden surfaces	15
Dry cleaning	0
Wood impregnation	25
Coating activity applied to leather	10
Footwear manufacture	5
Wood and plastic lamination	5
Adhesive coating	5
Manufacture of coating preparations, varnishes, inks and adhesives	100
Rubber conversion	15
Vegetable oil and animal fat extraction and vegetable oil refining activities	10
Manufacturing of pharmaceutical products	50

(1) O.J. 196, 16.8.1967, p.1 as last amended by Commission Directive 98/98/EC (O.J. L355, 30.12.1998, p.1)

A number of the twenty one activities described in Table 1 are already subject to Part A or Part B regulation by SEPA under the Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991 and the PPC Regulations. Where the new Chapter 7 prescribes SED activities for first time, regulation of these activities will be subject to PPC Part B control eg small scale vehicle refinishing (0.5 - 1 tonne) and dry cleaning. The activities which are prescribed for PPC Part B regulatory control for the first time as a result of the SER 2004 are identified in Table 2.

Table 2: SED Activities Prescribed for First Time PPC Part B Control under SER 2004

Sector	Annual solvent consumption threshold (tonnes)
dry cleaning	-
vehicle refinishing	0.5 - 1
vehicle coating in the course of manufacture	0.5 - 5
coating not in the course of manufacture	> 5
surface cleaning using certain specified risk phrase compounds*	> 1
surface cleaning not using certain specified risk phrase compounds*	> 2
rubber conversion not using carbon black	> 15
formulation and finishing of pharmaceuticals	> 50
Extraction of vegetable oil from seeds and other vegetable matter, the processing of dry residues to produce animal feed, the purification of fats and vegetable oils derived from seeds, vegetable matter and or animal matter where the process is incidental to the cooking for human consumption	> 10
timber treatment treating less than 1000m3 with solvent	> 25

Note : Where no threshold is specified then there is no equivalent minimum and the activity is prescribed for control regardless of size or capacity.

*The specified risk phrase compounds are substances or preparations which because of their content of VOCs are classified as carcinogens, mutagens, or toxic to reproduction under Directive 67/548/EEC are assigned or need carry the risk phrases R45, R46, R49, R60 or R61 and halogenated VOCs which are assigned the risk phrase R40.

4.2 Who & What is Affected by the SER 2004?

The SER 2004 applies to those activities listed in Schedule 1 to the SER 2004 where the solvent consumption is above the threshold specified in that Schedule. The following section details how to identify whether the SER 2004 will apply to an activity, how to calculate the SER activity consumption, and the timescales for making applications.

A series of flow charts are used to identify key criteria under the SER 2004, and should enable clear identification of application requirements.

In order to determine whether an activity should be regulated under SER 2004 it is necessary to define some of the terms used. These are contained within the SER 2004 and are reproduced here in a simplified version for the purposes of this guidance.

Definitions

'SED Listed Activity' - an activity listed in Chapter 7, Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the SER 2004.

'Directly Associated Activity' - any directly associated activity that has a technical connection with the SED listed activity, carried out at the same site and which could have an effect on any discharge of VOCs into the environment.

'SED Activity' - an activity falling within Chapter 7, Part 1 of Schedule 1, where operated above the solvent consumption threshold specified for that activity (NOTE: consumption is calculated as being the total solvent consumption of the SED listed activity plus the solvent consumption of the directly associated activities)

'SED Installation' ('SEDI') means a stationary technical unit where one or more SED activities are carried out; and any other location on the same site where any other directly associated activities are carried out.

'Solvent Consumption' means the total input of organic solvents less any VOCs that are recovered for reuse.

'Reuse' means the use of any organic solvents recovered for any technical or commercial purpose and including use as a fuel, but excluding the final disposal of such recovered organic solvents as waste.

'New SED Installation' means an installation that was put into operation after 1 April 2001, other than an existing SED installation.

'Existing SED Installation' means an installation that was;

put into operation before 1 April 2001 ; or

put into operation after 1 April 2001 but before 1 April 2002 and

operated under an EPA 1990 authorisation or PPC permit granted before 1 April 2001 or

an application for an EPA authorisation or PPC permit was duly made before 1 April 2001.

Figure 1 illustrates the pathway for determining whether an activity will fall within the scope of SER 2004.

Figure 1: Determining whether an Activity is covered by the Solvent Emission Regulations

Notes
1. If more than one listed SED activity is carried out, the DAAs for each SED listed activity must be identified separately
2. The figure required is the annual solvent consumption o the SED listed activity plus the annual solvent consumption of any DAAs. If this figure exceeds the threshold for that SED activity then the operation will be subject to the Solvent Emissions Regulations
3. In order to determine what constitutes the SED installation you must identify what SED activities are undertaken and any relevant DAAs.
4. 'New' SED installation means an installation that was put into operation after 1/4/2001, other than an existing SEDI.
'Existing' SED Installation means an installation that was;
1) put into operation <1/4/2001
2) put into operation >1/4/2001 but <1/4/2002, and- it was operated under a EPA authorisation or PPC permit granted <1/4/2001; or
- an application for a EPA authorisation or PPC permit was duly made <1/4/2001