Public register on pollutant releases in

Bern, 15.12.2006 - Information on pollutant releases as well as the transfer of waste and pollutants in waste water is to be recorded from 2007 and then made accessible to the public on the internet. The Federal Council approved the related ordinance today.

On 15 December 2006, the Federal Council decided to bring the Ordinance on the Register relating to Pollutant Release and the Transfer of Waste and of Pollutants in Waste Water (PRTRO) into force on 1 March 2007 and to ratify the related PRTR Protocol. In doing so, Switzerland will fulfil the requirements of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) (see box).

In compliance with the Protocol, the Ordinance contains a list of pollutants whose release into the environment must be reported each year if the pollutant quantities exceed the thresholds laid down in the Ordinance. These pollutants include particulate matter, CO2 and heavy metals. In addition, transfers of waste and transfers of pollutants in waste water must be reported if certain thresholds are exceeded. The new Register creates transparency and can also help the management of companies, for example, to decide on how to improve their eco-efficiency and productivity, as well as allowing government authorities and the general public to make a comparison of national, regional and local releases.

Various industries are affected

In Switzerland, the new Ordinance affects some 100 large and medium-sized facilities. These include facilities operating in the chemical, metal and mineral industries, in waste and waste water management and in the intensive rearing of livestock; most SMEs, on the other hand, are not affected. In addition to the data from facilities (specific sources), information on releases of pollutants from diffuse sources are also recorded in the Register. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) will be responsible for maintaining the PRTR. It will make the data accessible online. Facilities located in Switzerland perform well in environmental terms by international comparison. The PRTR enables them to compare their performance with other facilities and to pin-point and remedy weaknesses. The introduction of a PRTR has proven to be an efficient instrument in environmental policy in other countries. In the USA, for example, the pollutant figures for facilities subject to the reporting requirement have fallen substantially since the introduction of a PRTR there.

In the hearings on the new ordinance, the views of participants were predominantly positive. It is however a concern for the business sector and the cantons that the administrative costs are kept as low as possible and that any duplication of work is avoided.

Calculations and estimates are permitted

The cost to the facilities should be as low as possible. Accordingly, it is planned that the following general conditions will apply:

  • The Swiss PRTR is simpler and less extensive than the registers in the EU and the USA. The list of pollutants in the Ordinance comprises only the 86 pollutants listed in the PRTR Protocol with their corresponding thresholds.
  • Exact measurement data certainly provide the most reliable values, but they are the most expensive to obtain in financial terms. Therefore the PRTR expressly allows calculations or estimates of the releases and transfers to be made as well.
  • Facilities can enter the data themselves. They will also be able to request the FOEN to enter the data if they have already reported the data to the Confederation for other purposes.

The FOEN, in cooperation with the Swiss Chemical Industry and a number of facilities has already conducted two PRTR pilot projects. These indicated that a PRTR can be operated in Switzerland at a reasonable cost (see links).

Annexes

PRTR Ordinance

UNECE PRTR Protocol
Based on the recommendations of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 1996 in Agenda 21 agreed on a recommendation for the introduction of PRTRs in its member states. It also undertook to promote the concept of the PRTR around the world. In 2001 the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) began work on the PRTR Protocol, which was signed two years later by Switzerland and 36 other countries, as well as the European Union. This Protocol obliged the signatory states to set up a publicly accessible PRTR based on the annual reports from facilities. The European Parliament and the EU Council have already introduced a related Regulation. The first reporting year will be 2007.


Address for enquiries

Georg Karlaganis, Substances, Soil and Biotechnology Division,
FOEN, Tel. 079 415 99 62
Hans Peter Saxer, Substances, Soil and Biotechnology Division,
FOEN, Tel. 031 322 93 84



Publisher

Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications
https://www.uvek.admin.ch/uvek/en/home.html

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-9736.html