Chemical Engineering March 2014 - 59

Environmental Manager
beit motivated by corporate social
responsibility, company honor and
public backlash in the event of noncompliance.
India.
India's Air Prevention and
Control of Pollution Act of 1981 established
a regulatory framework
administered by the Ministry of
Environment and Forest through
a multi-layer bureaucracy that includes
federal and state control
boards. State boards can inspect,
measure, determine compliance and
check that equipment is working
properly with regard to emissions.
Indian citizens can also bring legal
action against polluters.
Operating a plant in India requires
a permit from a state board,
but there is no requirement to measure
emissions from specific equipment.
However, each plant must
report the amount of pollutants it
releases. Incentives for compliance
with environmental regulations
include access to bank guarantees,
eligibility for government subsidies
for the purchase of control equipment
and avoidance of costly litigation
from concerned citizens.
China. In April 2000, China -
recognizing the need to balance
economic development and environmental
protection - enacted its
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention
and Control Law, which states that
the law is intended:
" ...for the purpose of preventing and
controlling atmospheric pollution,
protecting and improving people's
environment and the ecological environment,
safeguarding humans,
and promoting sustainable development
of the economy and society. "
State and local governments set
discharge limits, regulations and
fees via a permit system. Requirements
include atmospheric monitoring
with public reporting. Local
authorities can penalize sites, set
emission limits, issue permits, perform
site inspections and order
plants to cease operation. Much of
the authority resides with the regional
environmental agencies.
China also has a complaint and
petition system, known as " letters
and visits, " whereby citizens can
petition the government to address
Table 1. environmenTal regulaTion:
a SnapShoT of CounTry-by-CounTry variaTion
emission control technology Country
Thailand
impetus for emission control
Corporate social responsibility,
media and
public pressure
Future regulations will impose
more formal rules
India
None specified; plant sites
expected to use best practices
People's
Republic
of
China
Access to bank guarantees
Citizen complaints leading to
litigation
Financial penalties, risk of shutdown,
media and public pressure
Unique legal perspective: recognition
of both environmental and
economic needs
Singapore
Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia
Taiwan
Use accepted
technical practices
Best Available Control Techniques
(BACT) are published
and expected to be used
LDAR programs are minutely
defined and regulated.
Low- emission valves and
packing and their performance
requirements are
specified
E.U.
Japan
Corporate social responsibility,
media and
public pressure
Risk of shut-down of operations
Violators face fines or imprisonment
Prosecution
by government
agencies and suspension of operations
Corporate
social responsibility,
media and public pressure
Action by local authorities,
media and public pressure
U.S.
Fines and prosecution leading to
consent decrees requiring special
projects, equipment installation,
additional rules and fines
pollution concerns or any other
issue. Although there is minimal
rule of law related to this, the government
authorities are obliged to
respond to all such petitions. Citizens
can report polluters to government
officials who can use their
authority to bring them into compliance.
All of this has promoted
increased environmental awareness,
as evidenced in the increase of
environmental complaints addressing
pollution issues, particularly air
pollution, between 1992 and 2009
(Figure 1).
The success of policies and practices
in China has traditionally relied
on regional government priorities
with regard to economic growth
and environmental protection.
60 ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com marCh 2014
However, these priorities are beginning
to change. Last November,
Reuters [3] reported:
" China will steer local governments
away from the pursuit of economic
growth at all costs and beef up their
powers to punish polluters as part
of a campaign to reverse the damage
done by three decades of unchecked
expansion. In wide-ranging economic
and social reforms unveiled
last week, the ruling Communist
Party said it would put more emphasis
on environmental protection
when assessing officials, and would
also hold local authorities directly
responsible for pollution. "
The stage seems to be set for future
regulatory actions. The citizenry
and media continue to push
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