The Norwegian PRTRSetting up an appropriate institutional structure

Øyvind Hetland

The Norwegian PRTR

The institutional framework – starting point

• From the Guidance on Implementation of the Protocol on PRTRs:– Are the existing institutions and systems adequate for carrying out the

various tasks and obligations? – One should perform a review of existing systems to monitor and

register polluting emissions, including how information on pollutant releases currently flows among the various institutions.

• In Norway, the Agency has an important role in collecting emission data from different sources into one database

Institutional structure in Norway

Government

Other ministriesMinistry of the Environment

National

Regional

Local

The Directorate for Nature Management (DN)

The Norwegian Mapping Authority (SK)

The Polar Research Institute (NP)

The Directorate for Cultural Heritage

Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif)

County Governors (18)Administrative

Municipalities (430)Political + Administrative

Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif)

• Directorate under the Ministry of Environment

• Manage and enforce acts and regulations, and carry out audits and inspections

• Monitor and inform about the state of the environment

• Instruct and guide regional and local environmental authorities

• Provide expert advice, assessments and suggestions to the Ministry of the Environment and other governmental institutions

• Participate in international environmental and development cooperation

Legal Structure in Norway

Permits

• Permits are necessary if an (industrial) activity has emissions that might have a significant effect on the environment

• We have not established any specific activity or emission thresholds at which a permit is required

– Exercise of discretion, case by case assessment• Generally, the emission standards are based on BAT (Best Available

Techniques), but we also considering the condition of the affected recipients

• Both the Agency and the County Governors give permits on the same legal basis

• As a general rule, smaller facilities with low emissions are regulated by the Counties, and the bigger facilities with higher emissions are regulated by the Agency

Reporting Requirements – Onshore Industry and Landfills

• The permits include measuring and reporting requirements:

11.2. Measurement of emissions and reporting to Klif“...The Company shall submit a report on its total emissions to air and water, noise in the surroundings, waste quantities and energy consumption. Any deviations from the applicable requirements and the way in which such deviations are dealt with shall also be reported. The report shall be submitted by 1 March of the following year on standard forms issued by Klif...”

Emission Data Flow – Onshore Industry and Landfills

”My” Facilities

Publication of Emission Data

• The Agency has the overall responsibility for publishing the emission data on the Norwegian PRTR web site

• We aim to publish the data in June the following year

• Before the official announcement, the Agency goes through most of the data that are presented on the web site as an extra quality check

• The Agency and Statistics Norway collaborate on the calculation of emissions from diffuse sources (Households, agriculture, transport and products)

Thank you for your attention!