IPPC - Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control
Integrated prevention is a new phenomenon that represents a fundamental change in the approach to environmental protection. It represents a higher category of technical protection of the environment as a whole against industrial and agricultural pollution, replacing the current method of reducing emissions, the so-called "control and management strategy", with the so-called "cleaner production" method. On the one hand, IPPC consists of the use of substances that are friendly to the environment and human health, directly in the production process, and on the other hand, in the use and application of conclusions on BAT (Best Available Techniques), i.e. the best available techniques, modern technologies and procedures. The original method of the control and management strategy consisted mainly of the installation and operation of expensive final separation devices (filtration, gravity, treatment, etc.). However, from the perspective of the environment, this only resulted in the transfer of pollution from one component to another (e.g. hazardous waste was created from the dust separated from the extracted air).
Technically speaking, IPPC therefore consists of the use of ecological substances, in prevention and efficiency in the production process (e.g. replacing synthetic or nitro paints with water-based coatings or powder paints) and also in the use of BAT - modern methods (e.g. fluid combustion boilers instead of grate ones).
Reference documents on BAT are so-called BREF documents (they are a summary of BAT and the result of an exchange of information on the issue being addressed). They contain data about the given industry, or process, techniques used with the calculation of indicators of individual criteria for BAT, emission limits used in member countries, priority material flows and monitoring. The core of each BREF is therefore a BAT description and a BAT Conclusion containing a binding summary and pollutant discharge limits.
On the basis of the implementation of Directive 96/61/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on IPPC, Act No. 76/2002 Coll., on integrated prevention and control of pollution, on integrated pollution register and on the amendment of certain laws (Act on integrated prevention) entered the Czech legal system with effect from January 1, 2003. The valid wording of this law already transposes Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions.
Operators of selected facilities listed in Annex No. 1 of the Act on Integrated Prevention are therefore issued an integrated permit (IP) by the regional office (RO) after passing the permit facility, which replaces component permits related to environmental protection. Operators obtain them by one decision at the Environment Department in one place - RO, based on the application submitted by them.
The Czech Environmental Inspectorate (CEI) in the field of integrated prevention performs delegated control activities on it (§20b) within the framework of compliance with the law on integrated prevention and fulfillment of IP, imposes fines in accordance with the sanctioning provisions of this Act. It also issues statements for other state administration bodies (operational regulations, requests for IP and their changes, etc.). Furthermore, the CEI cooperates with regional offices (oral negotiations for the issuance of IP), customs authorities, the Police of the Czech Republic, hygiene stations, financial authorities and municipalities and provides them with professional assistance.