The organic chemical manufacturing industry may have to undergo a complete makeover to comply with the new standards on effluent treatment and emission standards for hazardous wastes.
Comprehensive guidelines have been put out by the Union ministry of environment and forests. “Earlier, from time to time, the ministry used to amend the Environment Protection Act for individual chemicals. (Now) it has brought out comprehensive guidelines for major chemical industries – dye, dyestuff, organic chemicals for better compliance,” said officials. Dyes and dyestuffs were covered in earlier regulations.
The new standards cover effluent standards and emission standards for all hazardous organics — nitrates, arsenic, cyanide, chromium, lead, copper, mercury, zinc, phenolics, etc. Organic chemicals are intermediates used for a wide range of end-use products in daily life
Officials said all industrial units will have to comply with the norms for treating hazardous waste through incinerators immediately. For effluent treatment, time has been given till 2014.
“The units will have to make separate arrangements for treatment of storm water, a new addition in effluent treatment, from now on. It has to be discharged without mixing it with floor washings or any other chemical wastes,” they explained. While the ministry states these changes may not be a big cost for the companies concerned, officials in industry associations say these will be huge, only possible when the plant goes for upgrading.
Industry experts said the guidelines cover chemicals across the board ranging from aliphatic (hexanes), plasticizers and aromatics (benzene, toluene types) alcohols, phenols, esters, acids, ketons and aldehydes. They perceive it as a fallout of the clean-up action following the Bhopal gas tragedy controversy. Small detergent formulating units are out of the ambit of these standards.
“If during inspection any toxic component is found or effluent levels are above the prescribed standards, the unit will attract the Storage, Manufacture and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989. This means penal provisions and fines,” an industry association said. They added the earlier trigger for attracting the rules was high and this had been brought down, making it more stringent.
