Air Quality Protection

AIR QUALITY PROTECTION TECHNICAL NOTE
Environment Regulatory Department

June 2018
Technical Note on Air Quality Protection
Document Name Air Quality Protection Technical Note
Document No ENV/ADV/2018/01
Revision R0
Prepared By EE/EIA
Reviewed By ERM (Acting)
Approved By GM (R&C)
Date June 2018
Page | i Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2.5. Standards for Emissions from Industrial Developments ................8
2.6. International Standards for Emissions from Small Combustion
List of Acronyms ......................................................................................... iv
Facilities 10
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1 2.7. SEZAD Guideline for Coal Trade and Usage as Fuel for Cement and
1.1. Objectives ...........................................................................1 Thermal Power Plants at SEZD ....................................................................13
1.2. Project Information .............................................................1 3. ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS ................................... 14
2. APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES ..................................... 3 3.1. Environmental Regulatory Procedure ..........................................14
2.1. Air Quality Monitoring and Assessment Guidelines ...........3 3.2. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) .....................................14
2.2. Air Quality Standards ..........................................................3 3.3. Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) /
Operational Environmental Management Plan (OEMP) / Decommissioning
2.2.1. RD 114/2001: Conservation of the Environment and Environmental Management Plan (DEMP)..................................................15
Prevention of Pollution ........................................................................... 4
2.2.2. MD 200/2000: Crushers Quarries and the Transport of 4. MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES ............................. 16
Sand from Coasts, Beaches and Wadis ................................................. 4 4.1. Monitoring Methodologies ..........................................................16
2.2.3. MD 118/2004: Air Pollution from Stationary Sources ...... 4 4.1.1. Diffusion Tubes ............................................................................... 16
2.2.4. MD 243/3005: Control and management of Ozone 4.1.2. Mobile and Permanent Monitoring Stations ...............................22
Depleting Substances (ODS) ................................................................... 4
4.1.2.1. Weather stations .........................................................................23
2.2.5. MD 107/2013: Protection of Ozone Layer .......................... 4
4.1.3. Baseline Monitoring.....................................................................23
2.2.6. MD 20/2016: Management of Climate Affairs................... 5
4.1.4. Monitoring during Construction ..................................................24
2.3. The Kyoto Protocol ..............................................................5
4.1.5. Monitoring during Operation ......................................................25
2.4. Ambient Air Quality Standards (AAQS) ...............................5
4.1.6. Monitoring during Decommissioning ..........................................29
2.4.1. Omani Ambient Air Quality Standards ...............................6
4.2. Assessment Methodology ............................................................29
2.4.2. International Ambient Air Quality Standards .....................6
4.2.1. Identification of Exceedance ........................................................29
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4.2.2. Impact Assessment ...........................................................30 5.4.7. Infrastructure (Port, Harbour and Terminals, Airport, Gas
Distribution Network) ..................................................................................46
5. General Pollution Prevention Guidance Notes .............................. 31
5.4.8. Mining ..........................................................................................48
5.1. Construction and Decommissioning Pollution Prevention
References ...................................................................................................49
Guidelines .........................................................................................31
5.2. Pollution Prevention Guidelines during Operation ...........33
List of Figures
5.2.1. Point Sources ....................................................................33
Figure 1-1: SEZD Area ....................................................................................2
5.2.2. Fugitive Sources ................................................................33
Figure 4-1: Palmes Diffusion Tube ...............................................................19
5.2.3. Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) ..................................34
Figure 4-2: Deployment of Diffusion Tubes .................................................19
5.2.4. Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) ................................................34
Figure 4-3: Examples of right and wrong ways to attach diffusion tubes ...20
5.3. International Best Available Technology (BAT) ................35
Figure 4-4: Example of a mobile monitoring station ...................................22
5.3.1. Nitrogen Oxide Controls....................................................35
5.3.2. Particulate Controls ..........................................................35 List of Tables
5.3.3. Volatile Organic Compounds Controls ..............................36 Table 2-1: Air Quality National Legislations and Guidelines .............................3
5.3.4. Sulphur Dioxide Controls...................................................37 Table 2-2: Omani AAQS .....................................................................................6
5.3.5. Odour Controls ..................................................................37 Table 2-3: US EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards ..............................7
5.4. Industry Specific Air Quality Management Guidelines .....41 Table 2-4: EU Ambient Air Quality Standards....................................................7
5.4.1. Petrochemical Industry .....................................................41 Table 2-5: WHO Ambient Air Quality Standards................................................7
5.4.2. Silica Sand/Glass Industry .................................................41 Table 2-6: UK Environment Agency Ambient Air Quality Standards .................8
5.4.3. Limestone/Cement Industry..............................................42 Table 2-7: Minimum Stack Height .....................................................................8
5.4.4. Fisheries Industry ..............................................................43 Table 2-8: Emission Standards as per MD 118/2004 .........................................9
5.4.5. Power Generation Industry ...............................................43 Table 2-9: Small Combustion Facilities Emissions Guidelines (3MWth – 50MWth)
5.4.6. Desalination Industry ........................................................46 – (in mg/Nm3 or as indicated) .........................................................................11
Page | ii Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

Table 2-10: Emission Standards from Fixed Source using coal as fuel .. 13
Table 4-1: Air Pollutants from Industrial Sources Common to the SEZ Area
............................................................................................................... 27
Table 5-1: NOx Emissions Controls ........................................................ 38
Table 5-2: Particulate and SO2 Emissions Controls ................................ 39
Table 5-3: Fugitive Particulate Emissions Controls ................................ 41
Page | iii Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

PM Particulate Matter
LIST OF ACRONYMS PPGN Pollution Prevention Guidance Notes
AAQS Ambient Air Quality Standards SCR Selective Catalytic Reduction
AQP Air Quality Protection SEZD Special Economic Zone Duqm
BAT Best Available Technology SEZAD Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm
BMP Best Management Practices SNCR Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction
CAAQMS Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station SO2 Sulphur Dioxide
CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan TSP Total Suspended Particles
CO Carbon Monoxide UHC Unburned Hydrocarbon
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment UKEA United Kingdom Environment Agency
EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency VOC Volatile Organic Compounds
ERD Environment Regulatory Department, SEZAD WB World Bank
EU European Union WHO World Health Organisation
GHG Greenhouse Gases
GLC Ground Level Concentration
LNB Low NOx Burner
MD Ministerial Decision
MECA Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs
NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide
ODS Ozone Depleting Substances
OEMP Operational Environmental Management Plan
PAH Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Page | iv Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

air quality will be assessed by SEZAD with specific requirements

1. INTRODUCTION
for compliance will be detailed on a case by case basis.
1.1. Objectives
1.2. Project Information
This Air Quality Protection (AQP) Technical Note has been
The SEZ at Duqm is an integrated economic development area
developed as part of a set of technical notes for the
that covers 2,000 square kilometres. The SEZ is located in the
environmental requirements of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
Wilayat of Duqm on the south-east coast of Oman. The coastline
at Duqm. The AQP Technical Note includes a description of the
of Wilayat Duqm is approximately 170 km in length, with the
relevant national and international air quality related standards,
northern boundary lying between Nafun and Sidera, and the
methodologies for undertaking air quality monitoring and
southern boundary being approximately 120 km south of Ra‟s al
assessments, relevant Pollution Prevention Guidance Notes
Madrakah. Ghubbat Al Hashish and Barr Al Hikman lie to the
(PPGN) and Best Management Practices for air quality protection.
north of the Al Wusta Region and Ra‟s al Madrakah in the south.
The purpose of this AQP Technical Note is to set forth a
The SEZ is composed of zones that include the Duqm port, the
comprehensive framework that will ensure compliance with the
ship dry dock, the oil refinery, the regional airport, the
required standards and legislations and provide guidance to all
residential, commercial and tourism area, the logistic services
interested and applicable bodies.
area, fisheries area and the industrial. This AQP Technical Note
This AQP Technical Note is aimed primarily at applicants where applies to all industries in the SEZ area. Figure 1-1 specifies the
proposed industries may have significant emissions generated boundaries of the SEZ as per RD 5/2016.
from a particular industrial process. The overall objective is to
provide guidance for the applicants to ensure their operations
have minimal impact to the air, climate and the sensitive
receptors that have been identified within the area.
Industries should seek to prevent adverse impacts on the quality
of the air and ensure that any emissions they produce do not
result in an exceedance of the objectives detailed within this AQP
Technical Note. Applications that give rise to concerns regarding
Page | 1 Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

Figure 1-1: SEZD Area

Further details on the methodologies that shall be used for the

2. APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES monitoring and assessment of air quality impacts are included in
Section 4.
In accordance with RD 79/2013, the Special Economic Zone
Authority at Duqm (SEZAD) has the functions of the Ministry of 2.2. Air Quality Standards
Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) in relation to issuing
environmental permits for projects and implementing Table 2-1 depicts the relevant legislations and guidance
environmental regulations within the SEZ. Environmental applicable to the evaluation of air quality impacts associated with
compliance within the SEZ is governed by the SEZAD the Project.
Environmental Regulatory Department. At all times local
* It shall be noted that within SEZ, SEZAD will have the authority
requirements will override international requirements. The
of concerned Ministries mentioned in the below regulations.
international standards are to be complied with, only in the
absence of local standards. Table 2-1: Air Quality National Legislations and Guidelines
Laws Associated With Air

Description
2.1. Air Quality Monitoring and Assessment Guidelines Quality
Law for the conservation of the environment
Project applicants shall comply with the methodologies outlined RD 114/2001
and prevention of pollution.
in the following applicable guidelines when monitoring and Regulations for Crushers, Quarries and the
assessing air quality impacts: MD 200/2000 Transport of Sand from Coasts, Beaches and
Wadis
 General EHS Guidelines: Environmental Air Emissions and
Regulation for the control and management
Ambient Air Quality (World Bank, 2007) MD 243/2005 of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)
 Diffusion Tubes for Ambient NO2 Monitoring: Practical (amendment to MD 37/2001)
Guidance (AEA Energy and Environment, 2008) Regulation for air pollution control from
MD 118/2004
stationary sources.
 Quality Assurance Handbook for Air Pollution
MD 107/2013 Regulation for the protection of Ozone layer.
Measurement Systems (US EPA, 2008)a

Laws Associated With Air

Description
2.2.3. MD 118/2004: Air Pollution from Stationary Sources
Quality
Regulation for Management of Climate The rules and regulations specified within MD 118/2004 shall
MD 20/2016 apply for controlling air pollutants released from stationary
Affairs (amends MD 18/2012)
MD 41/2017 Omani ambient air quality regulation
sources. These rules and regulations supersede those issued
under MD 5/86. MD 118/ 2004 provides regulation on air
Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework
International legislation
Convention on Climate Change
pollution control from stationary sources relates to permissible
Montreal Protocol (Ozone Depletion) MD emissions from combustion sources and is the key legislation
International legislation relevant to air emissions.
37/2001
2.2.1. RD 114/2001: Conservation of the Environment and The articles of MD 118/2004 and the standards derived out of this
Prevention of Pollution have been detailed in Section 2.4.
The Law on Environmental Protection and Pollution Control is the 2.2.4. MD 243/3005: Control and management of Ozone
main law related to the environment in Oman and is the Depleting Substances (ODS)
fundamental text upon which the Ministry for the Environment The regulation lists the ODS that are to be phased out in
and Climate Affairs (MECA) operates. accordance with the Montreal Protocol. This also provides
guidance on the import, export and re-export of ODS.
The Law aims at preventing any type of pollution “in such
quantities or concentrations that may cause damage to the 2.2.5. MD 107/2013: Protection of Ozone Layer
characteristics of the environment, human or wildlife health or The decision specifies regulation for the Protection of Ozone
natural heritage”. Layer during any stage of the project. The requirement of climate
2.2.2. MD 200/2000: Crushers Quarries and the Transport of affair license for all establishments as well as management and
Sand from Coasts, Beaches and Wadis registration of ODS are specified in the regulation. Substance that
deplete ozone and phase-out schedule for the ODS adopted in
MD 200/2000 regulates crusher’s, quarries, and transport of sand National Strategy for Phasing is listed in Appendix (3) of
from coasts, beaches, and wadis. It provides information on regulation.
environmental permitting of crushers and quarries’ sites. This
also provides guidance on the control measures required to
control environmental impacts.

2.2.6. MD 20/2016: Management of Climate Affairs Taking into account the expected negative effects of climate
changes on the site of the project, the licensee also need to take
Through the above regulation, MECA has amended and issued a
all adaptation measures and precautions to protect the site.
list of climate change management practices to be followed by all
Projects that consume more than 2,500 megawatt/hour of
industries and projects that need environmental clearances.
electricity per year would need to adopt appropriate technical
The decision gives existing companies and projects three years to options to reduce energy consumption when designing the
align with the list of regulations. The decision has been taken in buildings.
line with the global developments to counter negative effects of
The decision also included fines for violators ranging from
global warming and climatic change and to adhere to the United
RO3,000 to RO5,000.
Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto
Protocol, which commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas 2.3. The Kyoto Protocol
emissions.
Under this law, companies or licensees should commit to a list of The Sultanate of Oman signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol to
management guidelines, which include using high-quality the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
technologies, resulting in low energy consumption and lower (UNFCCC) in January 2005. Under this Convention, Member
carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases during the design States have an obligation to improve energy efficiency, protect
and operation of the project or entity. sinks and sources of greenhouse gases, promote sustainable
agriculture, promote renewable energy and sequestration of
The licensee would have to present a plan for afforestation of the CO2, and control emissions of greenhouse gases. Member States
project site, choosing the trees that best suit the local are obliged to report their progress on these matters to the
environment and help increase absorption of harmful gases from Secretariat.
the atmosphere. It will also be required to use renewable energy
resources according to its financial and technical benefits. The 2.4. Ambient Air Quality Standards (AAQS)
company would also be required to follow procedures to limit
effects of high temperature on the project and applying efficient This Section discusses Ambient Air Quality Standards applicable
water management procedures. in Oman.

2.4.1. Omani Ambient Air Quality Standards Table 2-2: Omani AAQS
Max Limit of pollutant Avg.period for
MECA has developed and issued the ambient air quality Pollutant conc.level measuring
standards for sultanate of Oman through MD 41/2017. Table 2-2 ppm µg/m3 pollutant (h)
specifies the standards promulgated under the regulation for 0.124 350 1
ambient air quality. Relevant articles from the regulation is Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
0.0532 150 24
provided below.
Hydrogen Sulphide
0.020 30 1
 The owner shall monitor the ambient air pollutants (H2S)
according to the international standard methods adopted 0.123 250 1
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
and provide periodic monitoring data from the monitoring 0.642 130 24
station every 3 months to the competent department and Ozone (O3) 0.0568 120 8
whenever requested as and as specified in Article 3 of the
PM10 - 150 24
regulation;
PM2.5 - 65 24
 Article 4: The owner shall monitor the ambient air
24.3 30 mg/m3 1
pollutants according to the international standard Carbon monoxide (CO)
8.11 10mg/m3 8
methods adopted in this regard and provide periodic
Non-methane
monitoring data from the monitoring station every 3 Hydrocarbon NMHC
0.24 160 3
months to the competent department and whenever Lead Pb 1.5 3
requested;
NH3 200 24
 Article 6: The Ministry has the right to oblige the owner -
whose air pollutants exceed the permitted limits- to 2.4.2. International Ambient Air Quality Standards
connect the monitoring station to the network of
Relevant international standards for ambient air quality are
monitoring stations of the Ministry, to provide monitoring
shown in Table 2-3 to Table 2-6. These standards are derived from
data on these pollutants electronically and to take action
the following regulatory bodies:
to reduce the concentration of these pollutants.
 European Union (EU)

 World Health Organisation (WHO) [viii] – 99th percentile of 1-hour daily maximum concentrations averaged over 3 years.
Table 2-4: EU Ambient Air Quality Standards

 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Permitted
Threshold Value Averaging
 United Kingdom Environment Agency (UKEA) Parameter
(ppm or µg/m )3
Period
exceedances each
year
Table 2-3: US EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards PM2.5 25 µg/m3 1 Year
Threshold Value (ppm
Parameter Averaging Period Note 350 µg/m3 1 Hour 24
or µg/m3) SO2 3
35 ppm 1 Hour [i] 125 µg/m 24 Hours 3
CO 3
9 ppm 8 Hours [i] 200 µg/m 1 Hour 18
NO2
3
Rolling 3 month 40 µg/m 1 Year
Lead 0.15 µg/m3
average 50 µg/m3 24 Hours 35
0.1 ppm 1 Hour [ii] PM10 3
40 µg/m 1 Year
NO2
0.053 ppm 1 Year Lead 0.5 µg/m 3
1 Year
Ozone 0.07 ppm 8 Hours [iii] CO 10 mg/m 3
8 Hours
35 µg/m3 24 Hours [iv] Benzene 5 µg/m3 1 Year
PM 2.5 12.0 µg/m 3
1 Year [v] 25 days averaged
Ozone 120 µg/m3 8 Hours
over 3 years
15.0 µg/m3 1 Year [vi]
Arsenic 6 ng/m3 1 Year
PM 10 150 µg/m3 24 Hours [vii] 3
Cadmium 5 ng/m 1 Year
0.075 ppm 1 Hour [viii]
SO2 Nickel 20 ng/m3 1 Year
0.5 ppm 3 Hours [i]
Source: US EPA website (https://www.epa.gov/criteria-air- PAH 1 ng/m3 1 Year
pollutants/naaqs-table) Source: European Commission website
Notes: (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/standards.htm)
[i] – not to be exceeded more than once per year.
[ii] – 98th percentile of 1-hour daily maximum concentrations averaged over 3 years. Table 2-5: WHO Ambient Air Quality Standards
[iii] – Annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour concentration averaged over 3 Threshold Value
years. Parameter Averaging Period
ppm or µg/m3
[iv] - 98th percentile averaged over 3 years.
[v] – Annual mean averaged over 3 years for “Primary” air quality standard. 25 µg/m3 24 Hours
[vi] - Annual mean averaged over 3 years for “Secondary” air quality standard. PM2.5 3
10 µg/m 1 Year
[vii] – Not to be exceeded more than once per year on average over 3 years.

Threshold Value [iv] – not to be exceeded more than 35 times per year.
Parameter Averaging Period
ppm or µg/m3
50 µg/m3 24 Hours
2.5. Standards for Emissions from Industrial
PM10 Developments
20 µg/m3 1 Year
3
Ozone 100 µg/m 8 Hours As per Article (6) of MD 118/2004: A facility shall submit an
3
200 µg/m 1 Hour application for an Environmental Permit and shall not
NO2
40 µg/m 3
1 Year commission or operate the plant unless the height of the chimney
500 µg/m 3
10 minutes serving the plant has been approved and is sufficient enough to
SO2
20 µg/m 3
24 Hours prevent the smoke, grit, dust and toxic gases from becoming
Source: WHO Air quality guidelines for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide prejudicial to health or nuisance. The minimum stack heights
and sulphur dioxide – Global Update 2005 (WHO, 2005) (from ground level) are as follows:
Table 2-6: UK Environment Agency Ambient Air Quality Standards Table 2-7: Minimum Stack Height
Threshold Value Minimum Stack Height
Parameter Averaging Period Note Types of Industries
ppm or µg/m3 (from ground level)
350 µg/m3 1 Hour [i] Power Plants
SO2
125 µg/m3 24 Hours [ii] Plants fired by natural gas 26 m
200 µg/m3 1 Hour [iii] Plants fired by diesel oil 35 m
NO2
40 µg/m3 1 Year Boilers
Benzene 5 µg/m3 1 Year
Boilers fired by natural gas 15 m
Lead 0.5 µg/m3 1 Year
Boilers fired by diesel oil 20 m
50 µg/m3 24 Hours [iv]
PM10 Incinerators
40 µg/m3 1 Year
Medical, municipal and industrial
PM2.5 25 µg/m3 1 Year 15 to 20 m
waste incinerator
CO 10,000 µg/m3 8 Hours
Furnaces
Source: UK Environmental Protection. The Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010
Cement manufacturing ovens 40 m
(http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/1001/pdfs/uksi_20101001_en.pdf)
Notes:
Ceramic manufacturing ovens 20 m
[i] – not to be exceeded more than 24 times per year. Melting Kins
[ii] – not to be exceeded more than 3 times per year. Metallic and non-metallic
[iii] – not to be exceeded more than 18 times per year. 45 m
elements

For other categories, the stack height shall be at least 2.5 times Pollutants
Max Permissible
the height of the tallest building around the facility. Limits (g/m3)*
Total particulates 0.05
 Article (8)– Environmental inspectors from the Ministry Flaring in Refinery and Petroleum
may enter the facility to inspect any processes causing Carbon Monoxide 0.05
emission of any noxious or offensive substances, to Sulphur Dioxide 0.035
Nitrogen Dioxide 0.15
ensure efficiency of emission control systems and to Carbon Dioxide 5
monitor the quantity and quality of emissions; Unburnt Hydrocarbons 0.01
 Article (9)– The facility shall provide access and assistance Particulates 0.1
to the concerned environmental inspectors from the Power Plants – Natural Gas Fired
Ministry to perform their duties for inspection and to Particulates 0.05
carry out the necessary tests; and, Unburnt Hydrocarbons 0.01
 Article (10) – Any change of ownership or production Carbon Dioxide 5
process of the facility shall be communicated in writing to Nitrogen Dioxide 0.15
Power Plants – Diesel oil fired (less than 0.5% Sulphur)
the Ministry. Sulphur Dioxide 0.035
Air emissions permissible limits applicable to industries based on Carbon Monoxide 0.05
the pollutants from stationary sources have been specified under Particulates 0.1
MD 118/2004 and provided in Table 2-8. Unburnt Hydrocarbons 0.01
Incineration Works
Table 2-8: Emission Standards as per MD 118/2004
Hydrogen Chloride 0.05
Max Permissible
Pollutants Hydrogen Fluoride 0.01
Limits (g/m3)* Oxides of Nitrogen, calculated as Nitrogen Dioxide 0.2
General Phosphorous compounds, calculated as Phosphorus
Grit and dust 0.050
Pentoxide
Dark smoke- products of combustion shall not emits Hydrogen Sulphide 5 ppm
0.05
smoke as dark as or darker than shade one on the Dioxins (as furans) 0.5 ng/m3
Ringlemann scale (20 % opacity) Total Particulates 0.050
Asphalt works Metals Works- Electric Furnace
Bitumen fumes 0.03 Carbon Monoxide 0.050

Max Permissible Max Permissible

Pollutants Pollutants
Limits (g/m3)* Limits (g/m3)*
Fluorine 0.003 Firing/combustion Sources generated by natural gas
Particulates 0.1 Nitrogen Dioxide 0.150
Petroleum works Nitrogen Dioxide 0.150
Unburnt Hydrocarbons 0.010
Particulates from catalytic crackers 0.1 Carbon Dioxide 5.000
Desalination Plants
Sulphur recovery unit Min 99.9% efficiency Chlorine (fugitive emission) 0.005
Volatile Organic Compounds from fume recovery
0.035 *The units for the concentrations are as provided in MD 118/2004
units
Hydrogen Sulphide 5 ppm
Cement works 2.6. International Standards for Emissions from Small
Dust particulates 0.100 Combustion Facilities
Sulphur Dioxide 0.035
Urea/ammonia fertilizer factories International standards for air emissions have been derived from
Ammonia 0.020 the World Bank Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines –
Urea Particulates 0.050 General EHS Guidelines: Environmental Air Emissions and
Nitrogen Dioxide 0.150 Ambient Air Quality guidelines for small combustion facilities
Carbon Dioxide 5
(World Bank, 2007). These emissions standards are outlined in
Unburnt Hydrocarbons 0.010
Petrochemical works Table 2-9.
Hydrocarbons 0.010
Nitrogen Oxides 0.150
Carbon Monoxide 0.050
Total Particulates 0.1
Firing/combustion Sources generated by diesel oil
Carbon Monoxide 0.050
Particulates 0.100
Unburnt Hydrocarbon 0.010

Table 2-9: Small Combustion Facilities Emissions Guidelines (3MWth – 50MWth) – (in mg/Nm3 or as indicated)
Dry Gas,
Combustion Technology /
Particulate Matter (PM) Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Excess O2
Fuel
Content (%)
Engine
200 (Spark Ignition)

Gas N/A N/A 400 (Dual Fuel) 15
1,600 (Compressed Ignition)
Liquid 1.5 percent Sulphur or up to 3.0 percent If bore size diameter (mm)
50 or up to 100 if justified by project
Sulphur if justified by project specific <400: 1460 (or up to 1,600 if
specific considerations (e.g.
considerations (e.g. Economic feasibility justified to maintain high
Economic feasibility of using lower
of using lower S content fuel, or adding 15
ash content fuel, or adding secondary energy efficiency).
secondary treatment to meet levels of If bore size diameter (mm) >
treatment to meet 50, and available
using 1.5 percent Sulphur, and available
environmental capacity of the site) or = 400: 1,850
environmental capacity of the site).
Turbine
Natural Gas
=3MWth to < 15MWth 42 ppm (Electric generation)
N/A N/A 15
100 ppm (Mechanical drive)
Natural Gas
N/A N/A 25 ppm 15
=15MWth to < 50MWth
0.5 percent Sulphur or lower percent

Fuels other than Natural Sulphur ) e.g. 0.2 percent Sulphur) if 96 ppm (Electric generation)
N/A 15
Gas =3MWth to < 15MWth commercially available without 150 ppm (Mechanical drive)
significant excess fuel cost
Fuels other than Natural 0.5% S or lower % S (0.2%S) if

Gas = 15MWth to <50MWth N/A commercially available without 74 ppm 15
significant excess fuel cost
Boiler

Gas N/A N/A 320 3

50 or up to 150 if justified by
Liquid 2000 460 3
environmental assessment
50 or up to 150 if justified by
Solid 2000 650 6
environmental assessment
Notes: N/A = no emissions guideline; Higher performance levels than these in the Table should be applicable to facilities located in urban/industrial areas with
degraded air sheds or close to ecologically sensitive areas where more stringent emissions controls may be needed; MWth is heat input on HHV basis; Solid fuels
include biomass; Nm3 is at one atmosphere pressure, 0°C; MWth category is to apply to the entire facility consisting of multiple units that are reasonably considered
to be emitted from a common stack except for NOx and PM limits for turbines and boilers. Guidelines values apply to facilities operating more than 500 hours per
year with an annual capacity utilization factor of more than 30 percent.
Source: World Bank General EHS Guidelines: Environmental Air Emissions and Ambient Air Quality standards 2007

Parameter Units Guideline Value

2.7. SEZAD Guideline for Coal Trade and Usage as Fuel
manganese, nickel
for Cement and Thermal Power Plants at SEZD
,vanadium
SEZAD has recently issued guidelines for coal usage, import and
*In the absence of Omani standards for coal usage, it shall be noted
shipping, loading in ports, transport, storage and trade. The
that if the project is able to meet standards different than the levels
guideline also specifies the emissions standards from stationary and measures presented in SEZAD Guideline, projects shall meet
sources using coal as fuel and are outlined in Table 2-10. the standards whichever is more stringent.
The use of coal in SEZD shall be based on final approval of type of
coal from SEZAD. Natural gas shall replace coal as fuel in the
plants, to reduce emissions, once NG becomes available in Duqm,
unless otherwise approved by SEZAD.
Table 2-10: Emission Standards from Fixed Source using coal as fuel
Parameter Units Guideline Value
Particulate Matter mg/m3 30
Total solid particles to the
coolant piping and cement mg/m3 30
mills and coal
Sulphur dioxide mg/m3 100
Nitrogen oxides 3
mg/m 100
Total organic carbon 3
mg/m 10
Hydrogen chloride 3
mg/m 10
Hydrogen fluoride 3
mg/m 1
Dioxin /furan 3
Nano gm/m 0.1
Mercury steam 3
mg/m 0.03
Cadmium, thallium mg/m3 0.05
Antimony, Arsenic, lead,

mg/m3 0.5
cobalt, chrome, copper,

3. ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS  On approval of scoping study, an EIA study is conducted

and submitted to SEZAD. The reviewing of an EIA report
3.1. Environmental Regulatory Procedure shall take 40 days as per SD 326/2015.
The environmental permitting requirements within SEZ are 4. On approval of the EIA report, a permit application is
governed by SEZAD Environmental Regulatory Department. A submitted to SEZAD with required documents.
summary of the permitting procedure is outlined below: 5. For projects, which do not require an EIA study, the
1. In accordance with SEZAD Decision 326/2015, the SEZAD development can directly go for permitting, with the
Environmental Regulatory Department have developed a required documents.
list of projects within the SEZ that require an 6. For projects not listed in SD 326/2015 and/or which falls in
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Category C of MD 48/2017, a screening exercise is
2. MECA regulation promulgated under MD 48/2017, issued conducted by SEZAD Environmental Regulatory
in May 2017, has categorised the projects into three types Department, depending on the project application, and a
and has listed the projects, which require EIA study. MD screening opinion,1 is provided.
48/2017 shall also be taken into consideration during the
permitting requirement. 3.2. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
3. For projects requiring an EIA study, the development shall The EIA study shall be developed by a MECA registered
undergo the following: environmental consultant2. SEZAD have the authority to reject
environmental reports which are conducted by companies who
 Scoping study, identifying the topics and methodology,
are not registered with MECA to undertake these studies.
that need to be included in the EIA. Reviewing of
scoping report takes up to 15 days. EIA is a procedure undertaken for those projects with
major/significant impacts to the environment. For an industrial
1 2
SEZAD reserves the right to request EIA study for projects that are not listed A list of the MECA registered environmental consultants can be obtained
in the regulations. This shall be decided during the screening stage of the from MECA.
project and depending on type of project and likely impacts

project, the EIA generally would assist in determining site  Address the associated environmental and heritage
suitability as well as the necessary environmental control and issues.
mitigation measures.
 Provide planned management strategies to avoid and
The objectives of the EIA are summarized as follows: minimize impacts.
 To examine and select the best from the project options  A CEMP/OEMP/DEMP will also provide a management
available; plan for how wastes generated by the activities will be
 To identify, predict and assess significant residual contained and cleaned-up appropriately.
environmental impacts; Refer SEZAD Environmental Impact Assessment Guideline for
 To recommend and incorporate into the project plan, details on CEMP/OEMP.
appropriate abatement and mitigating measures; and
 To identify the environmental costs and benefits of the
project to the community.
For details on Environmental Impact Assessment, Refer SEZAD
Environmental Impact Assessment Guideline.
3.3. Construction Environmental Management Plan

(CEMP) / Operational Environmental Management
Plan (OEMP) / Decommissioning Environmental
Management Plan (DEMP)
A CEMP/OEMP/DEMP is a practical plan of management

measures which are designed to minimize environmental impacts
from the construction and operation phase of a project. The
document outlines the below requirements (at a minimum):
 Site specific activities of the development.

accuracy. This section covers the methods that shall be used

4. MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES
when conducting diffusion tube monitoring.
To ensure compliance with national air quality standards, the air Diffusion tubes are particularly useful:
quality shall be monitored and assessed to determine which
 when simple, indicative techniques will suffice;
mitigation measures are required. The mitigation measures shall
include Best Available Technology (BAT) and international best  to give an indication of longer-term average
management practices, which are discussed in Section 5. The concentrations;
Project air quality shall be measured, assessed and reported for  for indicative comparison with ambient air quality
all Project phases in accordance with the methodologies
standards based on the annual mean;
described below.
 for highlighting areas of high concentration; and
4.1. Monitoring Methodologies  where installation of an automatic analyser is not feasible.
For each Project phase the monitoring requirements shall be They are useful for identifying areas of high concentration when
determined by the Project specific environmental assessment. dealing with sources such as traffic emissions, which do not
Depending on the Project requirements, either passive or active change much from day to day. They are less useful for monitoring
monitoring methods, or a combination of both, shall be ambient concentrations around specific emission sources, such
employed to monitor air quality. Typically, passive monitoring is as an industrial plant, as they cannot identify short-term
conducted using Palmes type diffusion tubes and active fluctuations that may result from fluctuations in wind direction.
monitoring is conducted using either temporary or permanent
4.1.1.1. Selecting Diffusion Tube Sites
monitoring stations.
The selection of sites will depend on the requirements of the
4.1.1. Diffusion Tubes
Project environmental assessment. However, for Local Air Quality
Passive monitoring using diffusion tubes is an “indicative” Management (LAQM) purposes, sites should be located in areas
monitoring technique. This is because there is relatively high where there is relevant public exposure. Safety shall be an
uncertainty with the use of diffusion tubes, often quoted as ± 25% important consideration when siting tubes at height or near to
roads.

The immediate area around the sampler location must be open, affected by turbulence from passing fast traffic, as this may cause
allowing free circulation of air around the tube. Ideally, samplers them to over-estimate the pollutant concentration.
would be placed at breathing height, but in order to reduce theft Measurements from roadside and kerbside sites will only be
of tubes, it is recommended that tubes are placed at a height of representative over a very small area, as pollutant concentrations
2-4 m. Concentrations of pollutants typically decrease with height close to sources vary considerably, even over short distances.
above street level, so tubes placed some metres above street
level may under-estimate the actual concentrations to which the In some instances, “Near-Road” sites may also be relevant. These
public are exposed. As far as is practical, all tubes within the are sites at which air quality is affected by a nearby major road,
monitoring programme shall be placed at similar heights. despite being more than 5 m away, and therefore do not
technically fall into the “Roadside” category above. The same
Roadside and Kerbside Sites
siting considerations apply.
Roadside and kerbside sites often reflect the maximum Urban Centre, Urban Background, and Suburban (i.e. urban non-road)
concentration of a pollutant to which people may be regularly Sites
exposed, even if only for short periods, close to a busy main road.
The road with maximum traffic flow within the area may not At distances of more than 50 m from a busy road, it is anticipated
produce the highest ambient concentrations if it is situated in an that pollutant concentrations will have been diluted to the local
open area, for instance a dual carriageway. Higher concentrations urban background concentration. Hence, measurements made in
may be observed at a less busy road with tall buildings on either this type of location are likely to be representative of a fairly large
side (the street canyon effect), for instance in a town centre. In area, and can be reliably compared with similar locations in other
general, unless data from other sources exist, local knowledge urban areas.
will be required to select the most appropriate sites. Urban background sites shall be located:
Kerbside sites shall be within 1 m of the kerb, and are usually fixed  >50 m from any major source of pollutant, such as multi-
to street furniture. Roadside diffusion tubes shall be sited storey car parks
between 1 and 5 m from the kerb edge, and mounted ideally
 >30 m from any very busy road (> 30,000 vehicles per day)
either on a lamp post or road sign on the pavement, or with an
appropriate fixing on the face of a building adjoining the
pavement. Avoid locations where the tubes are likely to be

 >20 m from a busy road (10,000 – 30,000 vehicles per day) at least 5 cm shall be used between the surface and the tube, as
or from any medium sized sources of pollutants, e.g. fuel indicated in Figure 4-2. A small block of wood or plastic shall be
filling stations used as the spacer. The open end of the tube shall be located
below the lower surface of the spacer, as shown in Figure 4-2.
 >10 m from any main road. (Quiet roads, for example
Ideally the tube with spacer block should be mounted on some
within residential estates, are acceptable)
projection 0.5 - 1 m horizontal distance from the face of the
 >5 m from anywhere where vehicles may stop with their building, or on a drainpipe or similar structure. Avoid placing
engines idling diffusion tubes in any form of recess. Some examples of how
diffusion tubes can be fixed in place are shown in Figure 4-3.
Examples of typical urban background sites are on lamp posts or
street signs in quiet residential areas, schools or other public
buildings close to the residential centre. When street furniture is
used, even on quiet roads, the tubes shall be more than 1 m from
the kerb.
4.1.1.2. Detailed Siting of the Diffusion Tubes
Diffusion tubes shall be held vertically with the open end

downwards during sampling (Figure 4-1). Generally, a permanent
clip is mounted so that the tubes can be changed easily (Figure 4-
2). The clip and spacer may be simply mounted at the monitoring
site with PVC tape, double sided tape, or cable tie as appropriate.
It is important that the open end of the tube is exposed to free
circulation of air. Also, certain surfaces may act as absorbers for
a pollutant leading to a thin layer of reduced atmospheric
concentrations immediately adjacent to the surface. For these
reasons tubes must not be fixed directly to walls etc., even when
the objective is to monitor at a building façade. A spacer block of

Figure 4-1: Palmes Diffusion Tube
Figure 4-2: Deployment of Diffusion Tubes

 Bushes or trees overhanging or surrounding the tube

location
 Air conditioning outlets
 Extractor vents
The site shall be open to the sky, with no overhanging vegetation
or buildings.
4.1.1.3. Duration of Monitoring
The duration of the monitoring shall depend on the requirements

of the Project environmental assessment. The monitoring
duration shall be determined by the SEZAD Environmental
Regulatory Department and shall be detailed in the
environmental permit for each project. The monitoring duration
shall include consideration for seasonal variations in pollutants,
such as nitrogen dioxide. It is recommended that individual
exposures of diffusion tubes shall ideally be 2-4 weeks (no longer
Figure 4-3: Examples of right and wrong ways to attach diffusion tubes than 5 weeks and no shorter than 1 week).
Although it is important to place diffusion tubes where there is 4.1.1.4. Detailed Methodology for Exposing Diffusion Tubes
free circulation of air around the tube, the opposite extreme shall It is important that the exposure of the diffusion tubes is carried
also be avoided, i.e. areas of higher than usual turbulence. For out with appropriate quality assurance (QA). This section covers
this reason, the tube shall not be located on the corner of a the important issues on deployment, exposure and collection.
building. Care shall be taken to avoid any very localised sources, The following procedures shall be followed:
or sinks of a pollutant, or disturbances to the airflow. For
 Remove tubes from the refrigerator on the day that they
example, close proximity (less than 10 m) to the following shall
are to be put out, and ensure each one is clearly labelled
be avoided:
with a unique identification number (if this hasn’t already

been done by the supplying laboratory). The labelling  Transport the new batch of unexposed tubes to site,
must be weatherproof (i.e. waterproof labels or together with the end caps from the last batch, any travel
permanent pen). blanks as appropriate, and exposure details forms for
 Take tubes to the site in a sealable plastic bag or plastic both batches.
container. Travel blanks, where applicable, should be  At each site, remove the exposed tube from the sample
identified and their code numbers noted on the exposure holder and replace the end cap tightly.
details form provided by the laboratory.  Record the time and date of the end of the exposure
 At each site, select a tube. Record its identification period on the exposure details form, against the
number, and the site at which it is to be exposed, on the appropriate tube number.
exposure details form.  Make a note on the form of any site irregularities
 With the absorbent (coloured) end cap uppermost, (building/road works, traffic diversions), also anything
remove the bottom end cap (usually white or clear in which might affect, or even invalidate, the tube’s results
colour) and clip/place the tube into the holder. Ensure the (for example tube found on the ground, insects, dirt, or
tube is positioned vertically with its open end downwards. liquid inside the tube).
 Record the date and time of the start of the exposure  Select a new tube for exposure. Remove its end cap and
period on the exposure details form, and make a note of place it open end down in the holder, as above. Record
any site irregularities (for example building/road works, tube identity details, date and time. Tubes that are
traffic diversions). damaged or have splits in the end-caps should not be
 Keep the end caps in the bag/container, for use when the used.
exposure period is completed.  Keep the tubes in a sealed container, in a cool place (a
On the appropriate date, the diffusion tubes will need to be fridge is best) until they can be returned to the laboratory
changed and a new batch of tubes identified for exposure. The for analysis, which should happen as soon as possible.
following procedures should be followed:  Ensure that the tubes are used and analysed within 4
months of preparation.

 Tubes should always be capped securely after exposure;

any tubes returned uncapped to the laboratory should be
rejected. When visiting sites, it is recommended that the
operator takes some spare tube end caps, also some
spare mounting clips and spacer blocks to replace any
missing or damaged.
More precise results will be obtained by using groups of three or
more tubes together, rather than single tubes alone. However,
this has to be balanced against the additional cost, and multiple
tube exposure is not essential if good precision is demonstrated. Figure 4-4: Example of a mobile monitoring station
Laboratory analysis shall be conducted by laboratories permitted The AQM station consists of an enclosure typically containing a
or certified for this purpose and Quality Assurance/Quality control module, power module, thermal management system,
Control (QA/QC) plans shall be prepared and implemented. gas treatment module, a number of gas sensor modules, a RH/T
QA/QC documentation shall be included in monitoring reports. sensor and associated cabling and plumbing.
4.1.2. Mobile and Permanent Monitoring Stations The pollutants to be monitored shall depend on the requirements
of the Project environmental assessment. However, typically the
Mobile and permanent air quality monitoring (AQM) stations AQM can simultaneously monitor the following pollutants:
shall be used when there is a requirement for continuous air
 Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
quality monitoring within a defined period e.g. continuous
monitoring for 24 hours. The benefit of using mobile monitoring  Nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2, NOx)
stations is that multiple air pollutants can be monitored at a  Carbon monoxide (CO)
number of different monitoring sites. An example of a mobile
 Carbon dioxide (CO2)
monitoring station is shown in Figure 4-4.
 Methane and non-methane hydrocarbons (MNHC)
 Hydrogen sulphide (H2S)

 Ozone (O3) parameters can be simultaneously monitored with air pollutants.

The weather stations shall monitor the following meteorological
 Benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX)
parameters:
 Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5)
 Wind speed and direction
The AQM shall run for no less than 24 hours at each site for
 Ambient air temperature
mobile stations using solar power and batteries systems to
ensure day and night continuous operation. The sampling inlet  Relative humidity
shall be installed at 1.8 m above the ground level.  Rainfall
The AQM shall be equipped with a multipoint automatic  Atmospheric pressure
calibrator and an automatic data acquisition system (ADAS). The
ADAS system shall be equipped with remote data acquisition  Solar radiation
capabilities. Data shall be viewable by SEZAD environmental In accordance with the US EPA Quality Assurance Handbook for
personnel in real-time as received from the station. The system Air Pollution Measurement Systems (US EPA, 2008), the weather
shall be capable of providing daily summaries which are stations shall be located at a distance beyond the influence of
accessible to SEZAD personal for reviewing 365 days per year for obstructions, such as buildings and trees. The weather stations
quality and accuracy control. The software shall be capable of: shall also be sited at a location that ensures the measurements
 Local configuration management are representative of the meteorological conditions in the project
area of interest.
 Real-time trend and tabular displays
 Data annotation 4.1.3. Baseline Monitoring
 Site logbook The purpose of conducting a baseline air quality monitoring
survey prior to any construction work, is to:
4.1.2.1. Weather stations
 Establish the baseline ambient air quality surrounding the
Both mobile and permanent air quality monitoring stations shall Project area
incorporate weather stations so that the meteorological

 Compare the baseline air quality results to the Omani  NO2

ambient air quality standards found in Section 2  SO2
(Applicable Standards)
 CO
 Identify exceedances to recommend suitable mitigation
 H2S
measures during the construction and operation activities
 O3
 Inform the air quality model through the results of the
baseline survey  HCNM
Part of the baseline survey is to identify the sensitive receptors If required, laboratory analysis shall be conducted by laboratories
around the Project area which may be impacted by air pollutants. or air monitoring equipment permitted or certified for this
The distance of each sensitive receptor from the Project purpose and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) plans
boundary shall be recorded, as it will be used later during the air shall be prepared and implemented. QA/QC documentation shall
quality assessment. be included in monitoring reports.
The selection of monitoring sites shall depend on the 4.1.4. Monitoring during Construction
requirements of the Project environmental assessment. In
particular, a number of issues shall to be taken into account, The most significant air emission expected from construction
including a decision on the number of sites that are to be activities is dust. The monitoring during construction activities
established, whether they are to remain in a permanent position shall include particulates, which is commonly measured as PM10.
throughout the construction works and potentially during This is not only of potential nuisance to adjacent or nearby
operations. For permanent monitoring stations there are a occupants (particularly sensitive land uses such as schools,
number of practical issues that also shall be considered, such as hospitals or residential areas) but in some instances also poses a
the availability of electrical power, access to the monitoring sites, potential health risk. However, it is usually the local amenity or
and security. nuisance impacts that are of concern to nearby premises. Local
The parameters to be analysed during the baseline monitoring amenity and nuisance impacts could include the fouling of
are those listed in the Omani Ambient Air Quality Standards washing hung out to dry, freshly painted surfaces (houses) and
(AAQS), which include the following: washed surfaces (cars) through particulate fallout.

Other emissions from construction sites include those generated considered. An emissions inventory shall be included in the
from the diesel engines operating vehicles and machinery. Diesel- Project OEMP to identify specific pollutants.
fired engines emit particulate matter (soot) and gaseous The emissions inventory shall serve to assess a priority list of
emissions such as carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, nitrogen important sources according to the amount of pollutants
oxides and organic compounds including polycyclic aromatic emitted, and indicates the relative influence of different sources.
hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). For example, traffic as compared to industrial sources. The
Air emissions can occur during construction or decommissioning emissions inventory also allows an estimate of air pollutant
works on sites to varying degrees and with different durations concentrations for those pollutants for which ambient
and frequencies. For example, road dust generated from concentration measurements are difficult or too expensive to
vehicular movements within the site may occur at regular monitor.
intervals. Other activities may only occur at a certain stage of the All operational monitoring shall be as per the EIA study, the
construction process, e.g. earthmoving, demolition, grit and sand monitoring plan proposed in the EIA study and initial/final
blasting or spray painting. environmental permit unless otherwise specified by SEZAD.
The monitoring locations and frequency of monitoring during the Table 4-1 lists the air pollutants typical for the industrial sources
construction phase shall be detailed in the project Construction of pollution common to the SEZ area.
Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). The frequency shall be
specific to the construction activities, for example monitoring Monitoring during operations shall be representative of the
may be more frequent during earthworks activities. emissions discharged by the project over time. For example,
time-dependent variations in the manufacturing process,
4.1.5. Monitoring during Operation including batch process manufacturing and seasonal process
variations shall be considered in the monitoring programme.
The air emissions during operations will be specific for each Emissions from highly variable processes may need to be sampled
project and shall be detailed in the Project Operational more frequently or through composite methods. Emissions
Environmental Management Plant (OEMP). The pollutants of monitoring frequency and duration may also range from
concern will differ between industries and certain emission continuous, for some combustion process operating parameters,
characteristics from the different industrial processes shall be to less frequent, monthly, quarterly or yearly stack tests.

The Operational Environmental Management Plan (OEMP) shall

include details of the monitoring locations, frequency of
monitoring and pollutants to be monitored during operations.
It should be noted that additional air quality monitoring may be
determined necessary with the upgrade of any major
infrastructure components. Further depending on the monitoring
reports or any complaints regarding the project SEZAD reserves
the right to change the frequency of monitoring or add additional
parameters, as deemed necessary.

Table 4-1: Air Pollutants from Industrial Sources Common to the SEZ Area
Fish meal & Metal Desalination

Silica sand Limestone Petro Power Food
Parameters Processing Casting & (thermal Mining Infrastructure
& Glass & Cement chemical Generation Industry
Facilities Production plant)
Suspended
Particulate Matter x x x x x x x x
(PM10)
Suspended
Particulate Matter x x x x x x x x
(PM2.5)
Sulphur Dioxide
x x x x x x x x
(SO2)
Nitrogen
x x x x x x x
Compounds (NOx)
Carbon Monoxide
x x x x x x x
(CO)
Volatile Organic
x x x x x x
Compounds (VOC)
BTEX x
Greenhouse Gases x
x x x x x x x
(GHG)
Lead (Pb) x
Fluoride (F) x x x x
Ammonia x x x x x
Amines & Amides x x

Fish meal & Metal Desalination

Silica sand Limestone Petro Power Food
Parameters Processing Casting & (thermal Mining Infrastructure
& Glass & Cement chemical Generation Industry
Facilities Production plant)
Hydrogen Sulphide,
Sulphides, and x x x x x x
Mercaptans
Hydrogen Chloride x x x x
Hydrogen Fluoride x
Total Organic
x
Carbon
Metals (excluding
lead, mercury and x x x x
cadmium)
Polycyclic Aromatic
x x x
Hydrocarbons (PAH)
Dioxins,
Polychlorinated x x x
Biphenyl (PCB)
Mercury, Cadmium x x x x
Thallium x
Source:
World Bank Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines: Fish Processing (April 2007).
Spiegel J.M Environmental pollution control and prevention (1998)
European Environment Agency (EEA) Emission inventory guidebook - 1.A.1 Energy Industries (2013)
World Bank Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines – Cement and Lime Manufacturing (April 2007)
World Bank Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines – Infrastructure, food industry and mining

4.1.6. Monitoring during Decommissioning be applied to the baseline air quality data when modelling
dispersion. The dispersion model applied shall be internationally
Normally, the methodology for monitoring air quality during recognized or comparable. The applicant is required to refer to
construction is representative of the methodology adopted the complete official copy of the relevant World Bank standard to
during decommissioning, as the equipment and procedures thoroughly understand the assessment methodology. The
employed are similar. Thus, it is unlikely that decommissioning modelling approaches include screening models for single source
activities will cause a change in the impact on air quality from that evaluations (SCREEN3 or AERSCREEN) as well as more complex
experienced during the construction phase. As such no further and refined models (AERMOD, ADMS or CALPUFF). Model
details are needed for the decommissioning phase. selection is dependent on the complexity and geomorphology of
the project site (e.g. mountainous terrain, urban or rural area).
4.2. Assessment Methodology
Any modelling would need to be validated by the Project
This section discusses the air quality assessment methodologies applicant.
that shall be followed by each Project applicant for all Project It is important to note that cumulative impact air quality
phases. The methodology is considered common for all proposed modelling has not been discussed within this technical note, as it
industries. is not required within individual EIAs and shall be conducted by
For small projects, the predicted levels of air emissions can be SEZAD on a project wide scale.
assessed using a qualitative impact assessment, taking into
4.2.1. Identification of Exceedance
account the estimated emissions and distance between the
source and the residences or other sensitive land uses. Prior to assessing an impact on air quality, the results of the air
For large or complex projects, in accordance with World Bank quality monitoring shall be compared against the relevant Omani
General EHS Guidelines: Environmental Air Emissions and standards. The Project applicant is required to refer to the
Ambient Air Quality standards, air quality impacts should be complete official copy of the Omani standards. Where Omani
assessed through the use of baseline air quality monitoring and standards are not available, comparisons shall be made against
atmospheric dispersion models to assess potential ground level the relevant international standards (see Section 2).
concentrations. The local atmospheric and climatic data,
protection against atmospheric downwash, wakes, or eddy
effects of the source, nearby structures, and terrain features shall

4.2.2. Impact Assessment
If exceedances are identified, the significance of the impact shall

be determined by comparing the value and sensitivity of the
receptor against the magnitude of impact of the resultant effect.
The assessment follows a three-step process:
 Evaluating the sensitivity of the receptor;
 Assessing the magnitude of the impact of the proposed
industry on the ambient air quality, be it adverse or
beneficial; and
 Determining the significance of effect resulting from
impact (of a certain magnitude) on the resource (of
particular value).
Refer SEZAD EIA guideline for generic classifications for
environmental value, magnitude of impact and significance of
effect.

5. GENERAL POLLUTION PREVENTION GUIDANCE  Metal joining and finishing including welding, brazing,
NOTES soldering and other techniques.
 Generation of solid wastes and debris, their stockpiling
This chapter gives an overview of the Pollution Prevention
and transfer through chutes and loading onto trucks or
Guidance Notes (PPGN) commonly used during each Project
phase and international Best Management Practices for the into skips.
proposed industries.  Transport of building materials and supplies onto the site,
and transport of wastes off site.
5.1. Construction and Decommissioning Pollution
Prevention Guidelines  Movement of vehicles along roadways and paths, in and
out of the site and within the site, together with any
Construction sites vary in size and in the nature of activities that establishment and maintenance of the roadways (e.g.
occur on them. Typically, they can include the following types of grading).
works:
 Application of surface coatings and finishes using paints
 Clearing of land and related excavation and compaction and adhesives.
activities.
To prevent air pollution during the Project construction phase,
 Operation of heavy machinery and related equipment for specific details shall be included in the Dust Management Plan, as
earthmoving and construction purposes (excavators, part of the Construction Environmental Management Plan
bulldozers, cranes, etc.) and the engines associated with (CEMP), which shall be developed and implemented by the
such machines. construction contractor.
 Erection of structures using steel, concrete, brick, glass, It should be noted that Pollution Prevention Guidance Notes
timber, and other materials. (PPGN) for the decommissioning phase shall require a
Decommissioning Environmental Management Plan (DEMP)
 Mechanical activities including grinding, hammering,
which shall include a Dust Management Plan that details the
drilling, grit blasting and demolition.
mitigation measures to reduce air quality impacts during
decommissioning and demolition activities. Therefore, this

section can be considered applicable to the decommissioning o when wind direction and speed are such that off-site
phase. impacts are possible.
The PPGN during the construction phase shall include, but is not  Operations prone to generating dust shall be restricted
limited to, the following guidelines: when dust emissions increase significantly and to cease
 Odours from the premises shall not be detectable at the when average wind speed exceeds 15 m/s.
nearest sensitive land use.  Special measure to suppress and contain dust shall be
 Water sprays and dust suppression surfactants shall be adopted when old, lead-based paints are being removed.
applied during demolition and earth moving activities.  No burning of waste or vegetation shall be allowed.
 Disturbed areas of earth shall be minimised by scheduling  Haulage vehicles leaving the site shall pass through wheel
construction activities to minimise dust entrainment. washers.
 Disturbed earth surfaces shall be kept moist until  Unsealed roads shall be routinely watered.
vegetation cover has been established.  Diesel equipment shall be maintained in good condition
 Wind breaks shall be used where feasible. and smoke emissions minimised.
 Stockpiles of building materials and earth shall be kept  If contaminated land is encountered during construction
moist or the surfaces stabilised. activities, with possible emissions of toxic or odorous
 Sand blasting and grit blasting shall be carried out in vapours, the site shall be re-assessed and treated as a
enclosed areas with efficient extraction ventilation contaminated site, as appropriate.
discharged through fabric filters.  Monitoring of control equipment shall be assessed based
 Surface finishing by spray painting shall not to be carried on
out o extent of emissions
o where off-site overspray is possible, or o toxicity or odorous potential of emissions, and
o sensitivity of the activity.

 All activities, including housekeeping, shall be carried out level concentrations due to downwash, wakes, and eddy effects,
according to industry best practice. and to ensure reasonable diffusion to minimize impacts. For
projects where there are multiple sources of emissions, stack
 Hours of operation shall be restricted where appropriate
heights shall be established with due consideration to emissions
to reduce air quality impacts on sensitive receptors.
from all other project sources, both point and fugitive. Non-
significant sources of emissions including small combustion
5.2. Pollution Prevention Guidelines during Operation
sources, shall also use international best practice in stack design.
To prevent air pollution during the Project operation phase,
specific details shall be included in the Air Quality Management 5.2.2. Fugitive Sources
Plan, as part of the Operational Environmental Management Plan
Fugitive source air emissions refer to emissions that are
(OEMP), which shall be developed and implemented by the
distributed spatially over a wide area and not confined to a
Project applicant.
specific discharge point. They originate in operations where
exhausts are not captured and passed through a stack. Fugitive
5.2.1. Point Sources
emissions have the potential for much greater ground-level
In accordance with the World Bank General EHS Guidelines: impacts per unit than stationary source emissions, since they are
Environmental Air Emissions and Ambient Air Quality standards, discharged and dispersed close to the ground. The two main
emissions from point sources shall be avoided and controlled types of fugitive emissions are Volatile Organic Compounds
according to international best industry practice applicable to the (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM). Other contaminants (NOx,
relevant industry, depending on ambient conditions, through the SO2 and CO) are mainly associated with combustion processes.
combined application of process modifications and emissions Projects with potentially significant fugitive sources of emissions
controls. shall establish the need for ambient quality assessment and
monitoring. Open burning of solid wastes, whether hazardous or
5.2.1.1. Stack Height
non-hazardous, is not considered good practice and shall be
The minimum stack heights shall comply with the requirements avoided, as the generation of polluting emissions from this type
of MD 118/2004 (Table 2-7). The stack height for all point sources of source cannot be controlled effectively.
of emissions, whether ‘significant’ or not, shall be designed
according to international best practice to avoid excessive ground

5.2.2.1. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)  Use of water suppression for control of loose materials on
The most common sources of fugitive VOC emissions are paved or unpaved road surfaces. Oil and oil by-products is
associated with industrial activities that produce, store, and use not a recommended method to control road dust
VOC-containing liquids or gases where the material is under
pressure, exposed to a lower vapour pressure, or displaced from 5.2.3. Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)
an enclosed space. Typical sources include equipment leaks, open
Several chemicals are classified as ozone depleting substances
vats and mixing tanks, storage tanks, unit operations in
(ODSs) and are scheduled for phase-out under the Montreal
wastewater treatment systems, and accidental releases.
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. No new
Equipment leaks include valves, fittings, and elbows which are
systems or processes shall be installed using CFCs, halons, 1,1,1-
subject to leaks under pressure. The recommended best industry
trichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, methyl bromide or HBFCs.
practice to control VOC emissions associated with equipment
leaks shall include implementing a leak detection and repair 5.2.4. Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)
(LDAR) program that controls fugitive emissions by regularly
monitoring to detect leaks, and implementing repairs within a Industries that may have potentially significant emissions of
predefined time period. greenhouse gases (GHGs) include energy, transport, heavy
industry (e.g. cement production, iron / steel manufacturing,
5.2.2.2. Particulate Matter (PM)
aluminium smelting, petrochemical industries, petroleum
The most common pollutant involved in fugitive emissions is dust refining, fertilizer manufacturing), agriculture, forestry and waste
or particulate matter (PM). This is released during certain management. GHGs may be generated from direct emissions
operations, such as transport and open storage of solid materials, from facilities within the physical project boundary and indirect
and from exposed soil surfaces, including unpaved roads. The emissions associated with the off-site production of power used
recommended best industry practice to control these emissions by the project.
shall include:
The recommended management guidelines for reduction of
 Use of dust control methods, such as covers, water greenhouse gases shall include:
suppression, or increased moisture content for open
 Carbon financing
materials stock piles
 Enhancement of energy efficiency

 Promotion, development and increased use of renewable (1,400 to 1,500°F), which makes SNCR only effective in a relatively
forms of energy high, narrow temperature range.
 Carbon capture and storage technologies Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is one of the most effective
NOx controls for combustion sources. The catalyst allows an
 Limitation and / or reduction of methane emissions
efficient reaction to take place at lower temperatures, typically
through recovery and use in waste management, as well
500–900°F, depending on the type of catalyst.
as in the production, transport and distribution of energy
(coal, oil, and gas) Additional controls of NOx emissions shall include low excess air
firing, staged combustion, flue gas recirculation and water/steam
5.3. International Best Available Technology (BAT) injection. Further details of NOx controls are shown in Table 5-1.
This section provides a description of the Best Available 5.3.2. Particulate Controls
Technology (BAT) that is available to reduce impacts to air quality
from industrial processes. To reduce air emissions of particulate matter the following
controls shall be used:
5.3.1. Nitrogen Oxide Controls  mechanical collectors
The first level of NOx control, in the case of boilers, shall be a low-  electrostatic precipitators
NOx burner (LNB). These burners are designed to operate at  fabric filters
cooler temperatures in order to minimize the formation of
thermal NOx. The effect of low-NOx burners is to purposely  wet scrubbers
operate slightly inefficiently, which will result in an increase in Mechanical collectors, such as cyclones, shall be used in a pre-
carbon monoxide (CO) emissions and a decrease in NOx. control capacity to remove the larger particulates.
NOx shall be controlled by selective non-catalytic reduction Electrostatic precipitators shall be used mostly for high exhaust
(SNCR), which involves the injection of ammonia or urea into the rate, high emission rate applications such as coal-fired power
exhaust to react with NOx to form nitrogen and water. Without plants and steel mills.
the benefit of a catalyst, the reaction temperature is very high

Fabric filters shall be used to control a wide range of particulate popular with gasoline terminals before the development of
emissions from large scale to very small emission sources. There carbon adsorption systems.
are many fabrics that are used, depending on exhaust Thermal oxidation is a simple and effective way to destroy the
characteristics such as particulate loading, temperature and VOC. However, the effort to control VOCs will produce
moisture content. Although there have been advances in high- combustion by-product emissions (primarily NOx and CO).
temperature fabrics, fabric filters are temperature-limited.
Bio-filters have not had widespread use, with most applications
Wet scrubbers have many different designs to improve the being for odour controls in composting operations.
contact efficiency between the water and the particulate.
Because the use of wet scrubbers requires control of the Carbon adsorption is one of the most efficient VOC control
wastewater, applications shall be generally on large-particulate techniques. The ideal application for carbon adsorption is for
emission sources. recoverable VOC material. Common examples of the use of
carbon adsorption with a recovery system are gasoline terminals
Further details on particulate controls are shown in Table 5-2 and and coatings facilities that utilize a single solvent.
Table 5-3.
For VOC emissions associated with handling of chemicals in open
5.3.3. Volatile Organic Compounds Controls vats and mixing processes, the recommended controls shall
include:
The volatile organic compounds (VOC) controls shall include the
following:  Substitution of less volatile substances, such as aqueous
solvents;
 condensation techniques
 Collection of vapours through air extractors and
 thermal oxidation subsequent treatment of gas stream by removing VOCs
 bio-filtration with control devices such as condensers or activated
 carbon adsorption carbon absorption;
Condensation (refrigeration) control, which cools the exhaust  Collection of vapours through air extractors and
and precipitates out volatiles, is an earlier-generation technique subsequent treatment with destructive control devices
such as:

o Catalytic Incinerators: Used to reduce VOCs from 5.3.5. Odour Controls

process exhaust gases exiting paint spray booths,
ovens, and other process operations The recommended odour control techniques shall include the
following:
o Thermal Incinerators: Used to control VOC levels in
a gas stream by passing the stream through a  Install condensers on all appropriate process equipment
combustion chamber where the VOCs are burned in (e.g., cookers and evaporators) to treat air emissions for
air at temperatures between 700º C to 1,300º C odour, including sulphides and mercaptans;
o Enclosed Oxidizing Flares: Used to convert VOCs into  Install biofilters as the final method of air treatment and
CO2 and H2O by way of direct combustion acid scrubbers for ammonia removal ahead of the
biofilter;
 Use of floating roofs on storage tanks to reduce the
opportunity for volatilization by eliminating the  Install cyclones and filtration (fabric filters normally are
headspace present in conventional storage tanks. adequate) to remove particulates;
 Reduce fugitive odour sources from open doors, open
5.3.4. Sulphur Dioxide Controls windows, and general room ventilation through the use
of negative pressure-controlled ventilation systems.
The reduction of sulphur dioxide (SO2) is primarily focused on
fossil-fuel combustion sources. Reductions shall be accomplished
through the use of lower sulphur–containing fuel and/or
installation of wet or dry scrubbers. The economic impact analysis
for an option such as dry scrubbing can show an economic
benefit, as the waste may be saleable for the manufacture of
wallboard. Additional information on sulphur dioxide controls is
shown in Table 5-2.

Table 5-1: NOx Emissions Controls
Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) Percent Reduction by Fuel Type Comments
Combustion
modification Coal Oil Gas
(Illustrative of boilers)
Associated with combustion of fuel. May
Low-excess-air firing 10–30 10–30 10–30
occur in several forms of nitrogen oxide; These modifications are capable of reducing NOx
namely nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide emissions by 50 to 95%. The method of combustion
Staged Combustion 20–50 20–50 20–50
(NO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which is control used depends on the type of boiler and the
also a greenhouse gas. The term NOx Flue Gas Recirculation N/A 20–50 20–50 method of firing fuel.
serves as a composite between NO and
NO2 and emissions are usually reported Water/Steam Injection N/A 10–50 N/A
as NOx. Here the NO is multiplied by the
ratio of molecular weights of NO2 to NO Low-NOx Burners 30–40 30–40 30–40
and added to the NO2 emissions.
Means of reducing NOx emissions are Flue Gas Treatment Coal Oil Gas
Flue gas treatment is more effective in reducing NOx
based on the modification of operating emissions than are combustion controls. Techniques can
Selective Catalytic
conditions such as minimizing the 60 – 90 60 – 90 60 – 90 be classified as SCR, SNCR, and adsorption. SCR involves
Reduction (SCR)
resident time at peak temperatures, the injection of ammonia as a reducing agent to convert
reducing the peak temperatures by NOx to nitrogen in the presence of a catalyst in a
increasing heat transfer rates or converter upstream of the air heater. Generally, some
minimizing the availability of oxygen. Selective Non-Catalytic ammonia slips through and is part of the emissions. SNCR
N/A 30-70 30-70
Reduction (SNCR) also involves the injection of ammonia or urea based
products without the presence of a catalyst.

Table 5-2: Particulate and SO2 Emissions Controls
Principal Sources and General Prevention / Process Control Reduction

Gas Condition Comments
Issues Modification Approach Options Efficiency (%)
Particulate Matter (PM)

Main sources are the Applicability depends on flue gas properties
combustion of fossil fuels including temperature, chemical properties,
Dry gas, temp
and numerous Fabric Filters 99 - 99.7% abrasion and load. Typical air to cloth ratio
<400F
manufacturing processes range of 2.0 to 3.5 cfm/ft2. Achievable outlet
that collect PM through air concentrations of 23 mg/Nm3
Fuel switching (e.g. selection of
extraction and ventilation Electrostatic Precondition gas to remove large particles.
lower sulphur fuels) or reducing Varies depending
systems. Volcanoes, ocean Precipitator 97 – 99% Efficiency dependent on resistivity of particle.
the amount of fine particulates of particle type
spray, forest fires and (ESP) Achievable outlet concentration of 23 mg/Nm3
added to a process.
blowing dust (most Most efficient for large particles. Achievable
Cyclone 74 – 95% None
prevalent in dry and outlet concentrations of 30 – 40 mg/Nm3
semiarid climates) Wet sludge may be a disposal problem
contribute to background Wet Scrubber 93 – 95% None depending on local infrastructure. Achievable
levels. outlet concentrations of 30 - 40 mg/Nm3
Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

Mainly produced by the Control system selection is Alternate fuels may include low sulphur coal,
combustion of fuels such heavily dependent on the inlet light diesel or natural gas with consequent
as oil and coal and as a by- concentration. For SO2 reduction in particulate emissions related to
product from some concentrations in excess of Fuel Switching >90% sulphur in the fuel. Fuel cleaning or
chemical production or 10%, the stream is passed beneficiation of fuels prior to combustion is
wastewater treatment through an acid plant not only another viable option but may have economic
processes. to lower the SO2 emissions but consequences.
also to generate high grade Sorbent 30% - 70% Calcium or lime is injected into the flue gas and
sulphur for sale. Levels below Injection the SO2 is adsorbed onto the sorbent

Principal Sources and General Prevention / Process Control Reduction

Gas Condition Comments
Issues Modification Approach Options Efficiency (%)
10% are not rich enough for this Dry Flue Gas
70%-90% Can be re-generable or throwaway.
process and should therefore Desulfurization
utilize absorption or Wet Flue Gas >90%
‘scrubbing,’ where SO2 Desulfurization
molecules are captured into a
liquid phase or adsorption, Produces gypsum as a by-product
where SO2 molecules are
captured on the surface of a
solid adsorbent.

Table 5-3: Fugitive Particulate Emissions Controls through leaking valves, pumps or other process devices. Process
Control Type Control Efficiency emissions are generated in the process units and released from
Chemical Stabilisation 0% - 98% process vents. Storage and handling emissions are contributed from
Hygroscopic salts, Bitumen/adhesives 60% - 96% the storage and manipulation of natural gas, crude oil and the
Surfactants 0% - 68% petroleum derivatives. The water systems of the production or
Wet Suppression - Watering 12% - 98% processing site are the main source of secondary emissions.
Speed Reduction 0% - 80%
Typical controls for air emissions in the petrochemical industry shall
Traffic Reduction Not quantified
include:
Paving (Asphalt/Concrete) 85% - 99%
Covering with Gravel, Slag or “Road 30% - 50%  Scrubbers
Carpet”
 Electrostatic precipitators
Vacuum Sweeping 0% - 58%
Water Flushing/Broom Sweeping 0% - 96%  Steam strippers
Source: World Bank General EHS Guidelines: Environmental Air Emissions and
Ambient Air Quality standards 2007 5.4.2. Silica Sand/Glass Industry
There are two types of air emissions generated in the silica sand/glass
5.4. Industry Specific Air Quality Management Guidelines
industry, emissions from the combustion of fuel for operating the
5.4.1. Petrochemical Industry glass-melting furnaces, and fine particulates from the vaporization
and recrystallization of materials in the melt.
Air emissions from the petrochemical industry can be classified as
Oxygen-enriched and oxyfuel furnaces shall be used in specialty glass
combustion emissions, process emissions, fugitive emissions,
operations to reduce emissions or to make possible higher
emissions from storage and handling of petroleum liquids and
production rates with the same size furnace. Although oxyfuel
secondary emissions. Combustion emissions are produced from
furnaces may produce higher NOx emissions on a concentration
onsite burning of fuels for energy production and transportation
basis, they are expected to yield very low levels of nitrogen oxides on
purposes. Flaring is a specific source of combustion emissions in the
a mass basis (kg/t of product). Low-NOx furnaces, staged firing, and
petrochemical industry. It is used to control pressure and remove gas
flue gas recirculation shall be used to reduce both concentration and
that cannot be otherwise used. Fugitive emissions are release

the mass of nitrogen oxide emissions. These controls are also inspect the checkers regularly to determine whether cleaning is
available for air-fuel-fired furnaces. required.
The type of combustion fuel used affects the amount of sulphur Particulate matter shall be reduced by enclosing conveyors,
oxides and nitrogen oxides emitted. Use of natural gas results in pelletizing raw material, reducing melt temperatures, and blanketing
negligible sulphur dioxide emissions from the fuel compared with the furnace melt with raw material.
high-sulphur fuel oils. Fuel oil with a low sulphur content is preferable Electrostatic precipitators are the preferred choice for removing
to fuel oil with a high sulphur content if natural gas is not available. particulates, although fabric filters can also be used. Dry scrubbing
An efficient furnace design will reduce gaseous emissions and energy using calcium hydroxide shall be used to reduce sulphur dioxide,
consumption. Improvements in design shall include modifications to hydrogen fluoride, and hydrogen chloride. Secondary measures for
the burner design and firing patterns, higher preheater NOx control shall include selective catalytic reduction (SCR), selective
temperatures, preheating of raw material, and electric melting. non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), and certain proprietary processes
such as the Pilkington 3R process.
Changing the composition of the raw materials shall be considered,
for example, to reduce chlorides, fluorides, and sulphates used in
5.4.3. Limestone/Cement Industry
certain specialty glasses. The use of outside-sourced cullet and
recycled glass will reduce energy requirements (for an estimated 2% The main sources of air pollution in the cement industry include
savings for each 10% of cullet used in the manufacture of melt) and excavation activities, dumps, tips, conveyer belts, crushing mills and
thus air emissions (up to 10% for 50% cullet in the mix). Typical kiln emissions. The most significant air emissions from sources other
recycling rates are 10–20% in the flat glass industry and over 50% for than the kiln is dust (particulate matter). The dust shall be captured
the blown and pressed glass industries. using a hood or other partial enclosure and then transported through
The amount of heavy metals used as refining and colouring or a series of ducts to the collectors. The type of dust collector to be
decolouring agents, as well as use of potassium nitrate, shall be used is based on factors such as particle size, dust loading, flow rate,
minimized to the extent possible. moisture content, and gas temperature. The best disposal method
for collected dust is to send it through the kiln creating the clinker.
In the furnace, particulates are formed through the volatilization of
However, if the alkali content of the raw materials is too high, the
materials, leading to formation of condensates and of slag that clogs
dust must be discarded, or must be pre-treated before introduction
the furnace checkers. Disposal of the slag requires testing to into the kiln.
determine the most suitable disposal method. It is important to

Air emissions from the kiln shall be controlled using the technologies  Empty and clean fat traps on a regular basis;
included in Table 5-1.
 Cover all transfer systems, wastewater canals, and
5.4.4. Fisheries Industry wastewater treatment facilities to reduce the escape of foul
odours;
Odour is often the most significant form of air pollution in the fish  Install condensers on all appropriate process equipment (e.g.,
processing industry. Major sources include storage sites for
cookers and evaporators) to treat air emissions for odour,
processing waste, cooking by-products during fish meal production,
including sulphides and mercaptans;
fish drying processes, and odour emitted during filling and emptying
of bulk tanks and silos. Fish quality may deteriorate under the  Reduce fugitive odour sources from open doors, open
anaerobic conditions found in on-board storage on fishing vessels windows, and general room ventilation through the use of
and in the raw material silos of fish processing facilities. This negative pressure-controlled ventilation systems.
deterioration causes the formation of odorous compounds such as
ammonia, mercaptans, and hydrogen sulphide gas. 5.4.5. Power Generation Industry
The following recommended measures shall be undertaken to Power generation facilities can be either large utility plants or
prevent the generation of odour emissions: industrial combustion plants, providing power (e.g. in the form of
 Avoid processing batches of raw material that are of electricity or mechanical power), steam, or heat to industrial
considerably lower than average quality; this will reduce the production processes and are operated according to energy demand
odour components; and requirement. The facilities can be operated either on a
continuous basis to provide a base power load or intermittently to
 Reduce the stock of raw materials, waste, and by-products provide power during periods of peak demand.
and store this stock for short periods of time only in a cold,
The primary emissions to air from the combustion of fossil fuels are
closed, well-ventilated place;
sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM),
 Seal by-products in covered, leak-proof containers; carbon monoxide (CO), and greenhouse gases, such as carbon
 Keep all working and storage areas clean and remove waste dioxide (CO2). Depending on the fuel type and quality, mainly waste
products immediately from the production line; fuels or solid fuels, other substances such as heavy metals (i.e.,
mercury, arsenic, cadmium, vanadium, nickel, etc.), halide

compounds (including hydrogen fluoride), unburned hydrocarbons which can achieve a removal efficiency of up to 80-90 %
and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may be emitted in through use of Fluidized Bed Combustion;
smaller quantities, but may have a significant influence on the
 Use of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) for large boilers using
environment due to their toxicity and/or persistence. Sulphur dioxide
coal or oil and for large reciprocating engines. Technologies
and nitrogen oxide are also implicated in long-range and trans-
for FGD include sea water scrubbing, wet limestone
boundary acid deposition.
scrubbing, spray dry scrubbing and dry sorbent scrubbing;
The following recommended measures shall be undertaken to
 Use of low NOx burners with other combustion modifications,
reduce emissions of air pollutants from power plants:
such as low excess air (LEA) firing, air staging, flue gas
 When burning coal, give preference to high-heat-content, recirculation, reduced air preheat, fuel staging and over fire
low-ash, and low-sulphur coal; air (OFA);
 Consider the use of higher energy-efficient systems, such as  Use of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for
combined cycle gas turbine system for natural gas and oil- pulverized coal-fired, oil-fired, and gas-fired boilers or a
fired units, and supercritical, ultra-supercritical or integrated selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) system for a
coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology for coal- fluidized-bed boiler;
fired units)
 Use of dry low-NOx combustors for combustion turbines
 Design stack heights in accordance with MD 118/2004 burning natural gas;
requirements;
 Use of water injection or SCR for combustion turbines and
 Considering use of combined heat and power (CHP, or reciprocating engines burning liquid fuels;
cogeneration) facilities;
 Optimization of operational parameters for existing
 Use of fuel gas leak detection systems and alarms; reciprocating engines burning natural gas to reduce NOx
 Use fuels with a lower content of sulphur where economically emissions;
feasible;  Use of lean-burn concept or SCR for new gas engines;
 Use of lime (CaO) or limestone (CaCO3) in coal-fired fluidized
bed combustion boilers to have integrated desulfurization

 Use of combined SO2/NOx removal techniques such as during transportation and covering stockpiles where
desorption, gas/solid catalytic operation, electron beam necessary;
irradiation, alkali injection and wet scrubbing;  Storage of lime or limestone in silos with well designed,
 Installation of dust controls capable of over 99% removal extraction and filtration equipment;
efficiency, such as electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) or fabric  Use of wind fences in open storage of coal or use of enclosed
filters (baghouses), for coal-fired power plants. The advanced storage structures to minimize fugitive dust emissions;
control for particulates is a wet ESP, which further increases
 Applying special ventilation systems in enclosed storage areas
the removal efficiency and also collects condensable (e.g.,
to avoid dust explosions (e.g. Use of cyclone separators at
sulphuric acid mist) that are not effectively captured by an
coal transfer points);
ESP or a fabric filter;
 Fuel cleaning to removal heavy metals from coal using
 Use of loading and unloading equipment that minimizes the
mechanical devices, dense media washing and froth flotation;
height of fuel drop to the stockpile to reduce the generation
of fugitive dust;  Use of conventional secondary controls such as fabric filters
or ESPs operated in combination with FGD techniques, such
 The use of enclosed silos vented to fabric filters or cyclone
as limestone FGD, dry lime FGD, or sorbent injection;
dust collectors;
 Use of a high dust SCR system along with Powered Activated
 Use of water spray systems, binders, stockpile management
Carbon (PAC);
techniques and wind breaks to reduce the formation of
fugitive dust from solid fuel storage in arid environments;  Use of bromine-enhanced Powdered Activated Carbon or
other sorbents;
 Use of enclosed conveyors with well designed, extraction and
filtration equipment on conveyor transfer points to prevent  Use of less carbon intensive fossil fuels (i.e., less carbon
the emission of dust; containing fuel per unit of calorific value -- gas is less than oil
and oil is less than coal) or co-firing with carbon neutral fuels
 For solid fuels of which fine fugitive dust could contain
(i.e., biomass);
vanadium, nickel and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs) (e.g., in coal and petroleum coke), use of full enclosure

 Use of high performance monitoring and process control 5.4.6. Desalination Industry
techniques, good design and maintenance of the combustion
Desalination plants can be either thermal or Reverse Osmosis (RO). If
system so that initially designed efficiency performance can
a desalination plant requires thermal energy the air emissions are
be maintained with good combustion control;
due to fuel combustion. Air emissions from fuel combustion include
 Consideration for use of carbon capture and disposal sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter
technologies; (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and greenhouse gases, such as carbon
 When transferring volatile liquids subsurface filling via (anti- dioxide (CO2).
syphon) filling pipes extended to the bottom of the container, The BMPs that shall be undertaken to reduce emissions of air
the use of vapour balance lines that transfer the vapour from pollutants from desalination plants that use thermal energy are the
the container being filled to the one being emptied, or an same as the power generation BMPs outlined in Section 5.4.5.
enclosed system with extraction to suitable abatement plant
should be used;
5.4.7. Infrastructure (Port, Harbour and Terminals, Airport,
Gas Distribution Network)
 Vent systems should be chosen to minimize breathing
emissions (for example pressure/ vacuum valves) and, where Infrastructure project may include airport, ports, harbour and
relevant, should be fitted with knock-out pots and terminals, gas distribution network, etc. The environmental releases
appropriate abatement equipment; and emissions from infrastructure project varies depending on the
type of project as well as operational activities.
 Maintenance of bulk storage temperatures as low as
practicable, taking into account changes due to solar heating; Air emissions from port and terminal activities include combustion
exhaust emissions resulting from diesel engines used for the
 Use of techniques to reduce fugitive losses from storage propulsion of ships, and ship-based auxiliary engines and boilers for
tanks, including using tank paint with low solar absorbency, power generation. In addition, combustion exhaust emissions are
temperature control, tank insulation, inventory generated from land-based activities involving the use of vehicles,
management, floating roof tanks, bladder roof tanks, cargo handling equipment, and other engines and boilers. Other
pressure/vacuum valves and specific release treatment (such sources of air emissions include volatile organic compound (VOC)
as adsorption condensation).

emissions from fuel storage tanks and fuel transfer activities, in  Maintenance programs to repair and replace infrastructure
addition to dust emissions. should be undertaken as indicated by detection results.
The following recommended measures shall be undertaken to  Regulating stations and vaults, both above and below
reduce emissions of air pollutants from infrastructure projects:
ground, may contain equipment (e.g. safety valves, filters) that may
5.4.7.1. Airports emit fugitive emissions of gas. Pipelines, valves, and other
 Minimizing fugitive air emissions from jet kerosene and other component infrastructure should be regularly maintained, and
fuel storage and handling activities ventilation and gas detection / alarm equipment installed in station
buildings or vaults.
5.4.7.2. Gas Distribution Network
reduce emissions of air pollutants from infrastructure projects:
 Gas pipelines and pipeline components, should meet
5.4.7.3. Ports, Harbors and Terminals
international standards for structural integrity and
operational performance;  Validate ship engine performance documentation and
certification to ensure compliance with combustion
 Corrosion prevention of pipelines should be undertaken using
emissions specifications (including NOx, SOx, and PM),
coating or cathodic protection techniques. For underground
applications, the use of polyethylene pipe, which is not  Require use of low-sulphur fuels in port, if feasible, or as
subject to corrosion, should be considered as an alternative required by international regulations
to ferrous metal pipeline materials;  When practical and without affecting the safety of vessel
 Testing of pipelines and pipeline components for pressure navigation, use reduced ship propulsion power in port access
specifications and presence of leaks should be undertaken areas.
prior to commissioning. The system should be gas tight when  Where practicable, design port layouts and facilities to
tested at a higher pressure than the normal maximum minimize travel distances and transfer points, for example
operation gas pressure; from ships’ off-loading and on-loading facilities to storage
 Leak and corrosion detection programs should be areas, and to avoid/minimize re-storage and re-shuffling of
undertaken, including use of appropriate leak detection cargo.
 assessment techniques and equipment.

 Maintain cargo transfer equipment (e.g., cranes, forklifts, and  Exposed soils and other erodible materials should be
trucks) in good working condition to reduce air emissions. revegetated or covered promptly;
 VOC emissions from fuel and cargo storage, and transfer  New areas should be cleared and opened-up only when
activities should be minimized through vapor recovery absolutely necessary;
systems for fuel storage, loading/offloading, and fueling  Storage for dusty materials should be enclosed or operated
activities, the use of floating top storage tanks, and the with efficient dust suppressing measures;
adoption of management practices
 Loading, transfer, and discharge of materials should take
5.4.8. Mining place with a minimum height of fall, covered, and be shielded
against the wind, and consider use of dust suppression spray
Air emissions associated with mining activity include emissions systems.
during exploration, development, construction, and operational
activities. The principal sources include fugitive dust from blasting,
exposed surfaces such as stockpiles, waste dumps, haul roads and
infrastructure, and emissions associated with combustion of fuels in
stationary and mobile power generating units. Air emissions from
fuel combustion include sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides
(NOX), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and
greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). This is covered
under Section 5.4.5.
The following recommended measures shall be undertaken to
reduce dust emissions during mining:
 Dust suppression techniques (e.g. wetting down, use of all-
weather surfaces, use of agglomeration additives) for roads
and work areas, optimization of traffic patterns, and
reduction of travel speeds;

References  Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA). (2013).

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AIR QUALITY PROTECTION TECHNICAL NOTE

Environment Regulatory Department

Document Name Air Quality Protection Technical Note

Reviewed By ERM (Acting)

Date June 2018

Page | i Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

1.2. Project Information .............................................................1 3. ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS ................................... 14

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air quality will be assessed by SEZAD with specific requirements

Page | 1 Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

Figure 1-1: SEZD Area

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Further details on the methodologies that shall be used for the

Laws Associated With Air

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Laws Associated With Air

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Table 2-4: EU Ambient Air Quality Standards

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Max Permissible Max Permissible

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200 (Spark Ignition)

0.5 percent Sulphur or lower percent

Fuels other than Natural 0.5% S or lower % S (0.2%S) if

Page | 11 Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

Gas N/A N/A 320 3

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Parameter Units Guideline Value

Antimony, Arsenic, lead,

Page | 13 Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

3. ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS  On approval of scoping study, an EIA study is conducted

Page | 14 Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

3.3. Construction Environmental Management Plan

A CEMP/OEMP/DEMP is a practical plan of management

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accuracy. This section covers the methods that shall be used

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Diffusion tubes shall be held vertically with the open end

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Figure 4-1: Palmes Diffusion Tube

Figure 4-2: Deployment of Diffusion Tubes

Page | 19 Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

 Bushes or trees overhanging or surrounding the tube

The duration of the monitoring shall depend on the requirements

Page | 20 Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018

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 Tubes should always be capped securely after exposure;

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 Ozone (O3) parameters can be simultaneously monitored with air pollutants.

Page | 23 Environmental Regulatory Department June 2018