E14 Reactie herziening Europese richtlijnen voor luchtkwaliteit.pdf

GEMEENTE VELSEN

Collegebericht Weeknummer: 49

Datum vergadering

7-12-2021

Ambtenaar

D. Hunsche

Zaaknummer

143202-2021

Telefoonnr.

0251-263816

Portefeuillehouder(s)

S.Y. Dinjens

E-mailadres

dhunsche@odijmond.nl

Bijlagen

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Onderwerp: Reactie herziening Europese richtlijnen voor luchtkwaliteit

Geachte leden van de raad,

De Europese Commissie (EU) bereidt een herziening voor van twee richtlijnen over luchtkwaliteit (2008/50/EG en 2004/107/EG). Tot en met 16 december 2021 is de herziening opengesteld voor raadpleging. Een derde spoor is de herziening van de Richtlijn Industriële emissies (2010/75/EU). Deze is niet voor raadpleging vrijgegeven. De bovengenoemde richtlijnen zijn gericht op het beschermen en verbeteren van de luchtkwaliteit. Gemeente Velsen stuurt samen met gemeente Beverwijk en gemeente Heemskerk een brief aan de EU om gezondheid als afwegingskader mee te nemen bij de herziening van de richtlijnen over luchtkwaliteit en industriële emissies. Gezondheid is namelijk niet direct als afwegingskader in de richtlijnen opgenomen. De luchtkwaliteit in de IJmond staat zwaar onder druk, met name door de zware industrie. De onderzoeksrapporten van het RIVM maken duidelijk dat de huidige luchtkwaliteit risico’s met zich meebrengt voor de gezondheid van de inwoners van de IJmond. De inzet van de IJmondgemeenten is om de richtlijnen zoveel mogelijk in lijn te brengen met de aangescherpte advieswaarden van de Wereldgezondheidsorganisatie (WHO). In deze brief wordt ook het belang van Tata Steel als werkgever in de regio geduid. Tegelijk spreken de IJmondgemeenten de zorgen uit over de invloed van luchtemissies op de gezondheid van inwoners in de IJmond.

Steun wordt uitgesproken voor de brief van de Staatsecretaris van I&W van 27 september 2021 aan de EU waarin ook staat dat het principe omgevingswaarden voor luchtkwaliteit meer in lijn moet komen met de aangescherpte WHO-advieswaarden. In de voorgestelde brief van de IJmond gemeenten wordt aandacht gevraagd voor een realistisch tijdspad om te komen tot bindende kaders met heldere doelen en tussendoelen. Tenslotte worden concrete tekstvoorstellen gedaan om de Richtlijn industriële emissies gezondheid (RIE) aan te passen. Hieronder treft u een inhoudelijke toelichting op de brief van de IJmond gemeenten aan.

GEMEENTE VELSEN Ontoereikende regelgeving De huidige Europese regelgeving is niet (altijd) toereikend om gezondheidsrisico’s als gevolg van luchtemissies (op emissieniveau) of luchtkwaliteit op immissieniveau (leefniveau) weg te nemen en negatieve effecten te voorkomen. Onderzoeken en adviezen, waaronder een advies van de Gezondheidsraad van 23 januari 2018 en WHO-rapportages, wijzen uit dat zich ook in situaties waarbij aan de huidige grenswaarden wordt voldaan, negatieve effecten op de gezondheid voor kunnen doen. WHO-advieswaarden zijn strenger dan milieugrenswaarden. Aanpassing van het regelgevingsinstrumentarium en de Richtlijn luchtkwaliteit (2008/50/EG) kan bijdragen aan het verbeteren van de luchtkwaliteit en gezondheid. Daarom spreken de IJmondgemeenten in hun brief steun uit voor de brief van de Staatsecretaris van I&W van 27 september 2021 aan de EU, waarin ook is opgenomen de grenswaarden voor luchtkwaliteit meer in lijn te brengen met aangescherpte de WHO-advieswaarden. Scherpere vergunningverlening Milieu De Richtlijn Industriële emissies (RIE, 2010/75/EU) schrijft voor dat bedrijven de best beschikbare technieken (BBT) moeten toepassen om emissies zoveel mogelijk te beperken. De BBT die de bedrijven toepassen worden vastgelegd in de omgevingsvergunning milieu. Daarnaast bevat de RIE emissiegrenswaarden die niet overschreden mogen worden.

Er bestaat in de huidige richtlijn onder andere een mogelijkheid om af te zien van BBT als deze financieel niet verantwoord is, technisch niet haalbaar is en/of er geen milieukundige bezwaren zijn. Het bevoegd gezag kan hierin een afweging maken. In de brief wordt verzocht aan deze afweging het aspect gezondheid toe te voegen. Dit omdat de milieukundige norm hoger ligt dan de gezondheidsnorm. Daarnaast geeft de RIE de basis voor het opleggen (in de omgevingsvergunning milieu) van strengere maatregelen dan BBT (BBT+). Op dit moment is het afwegingskader voor strengere maatregelen milieukundig en financieel. Ook hier wordt verzocht gezondheid als afwegingskader toe te voegen. Met het toevoegen van gezondheid aan de afwegingskaders krijgt gezondheid een grotere rol bij het opleggen van BBT en BBT+ maatregelen. Hiermee krijgt het bevoegd gezag een handvat om de leefomgeving gezonder te maken of te houden. Dit kan het uitvoeren van het programma luchtkwaliteit en gezondheid bevorderen. Hierin is de ambitie opgenomen om de vergunningverlening Milieu aan te scherpen.

Het college van burgemeester en wethouders van de gemeente Velsen

Draft 23 November 2021 Dear Commissioner, As democratically elected representatives of the Dutch municipalities of Beverwijk, Heemskerk and Velsen, we would like to ask your attention for the necessity to develop European legal instruments to shape the right conditions for reducing air pollution caused by industrial emissions. There is a need for this in the IJmond Region, a region that is located in the western part of the Netherlands. The current legislation does not provide a legal basis for achieving sufficient health conditions regarding ambient air quality. The IJmond Region is a densely populated area where industrial activities, ports and shipping, extensive infrastructure and Natura 2000 sites are all present. In his letter of the 27th of September 2021, the Dutch deputy minister for Infrastructure and Water Management described the impact of the steel company Tata Steel Netherlands on the environment and the health of local citizens. Being a major employer for our citizens and important client of local supplying companies, Tata Steel Netherlands is of great importance to the IJmond Region. Notwithstanding its importance, we have serious concerns regarding the impact on the environment and health of our citizens of the by the company generated dust, chemicals and metals..

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) recently conducted an assessment which showed that dust concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals, including lead, are present at unacceptably high levels and pose a serious threat to childrens’ health.* *RIVM-rapport 2021-0110; Other studies carried out about health conditions and air quality in the IJmond are listed at the RIVM-website: Overview reports health in the IJmond Region | National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) It is within this context, that we welcome the evaluation and revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED, 2010/75/EU) and Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC). Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC), AQG levels and interim targets In the IJmond Region the mandatory concentration limits of PM10 prescribed by the current Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) are mainly respected. However, those limits are not sufficient to guarantee the required threshold levels to ensure public health quality. Therefore, we support – as stated by the deputy minister for Infrastructure and Water Management – the principle that air quality standards should be brought more in line with the latest standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)*, tightened up for particulates and nitrogen oxides in particular.

* WHO global air quality guidelines. Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Executive summary. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Licence: CCBY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

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In order to ensure further and continuing improvement of the air quality, thus the health of the region’s citizens, we ask you to outline and implement a realistic legal pathway towards binding standards with clear goals and (interim) targets. Industrial Emissions Directive (IED, 2010/75/EU), article 15 (4) and local environmental and human health conditions We support the necessity of stricter legal requirement for environmental permits. In his letter the deputy minister for Infrastructure and Water Management also asked your attention for the following issue: “The Dutch position on the Industrial Emissions Directive can be summarized as follows: the IED standards for industrial emissions into the air and the water must, where possible, be tightened up.” Towards the (review of the) current Industrial Emissions Directive, we urgently ask you to establish a legal basis for stricter emissions values, including peak loads, e.g. by narrowing the range of permitted emission limit values in permits to reduce emissions that are emitted by installations, since local environmental quality and human health conditions (in the IJmond) require action.

More specifically, we ask you to change article 15 (4), since this article enables setting less strict emission limit values in case an assessment shows that the achievement of emission levels associated with the best available techniques as described in BAT conclusions would lead to disproportionately higher costs compared to the environmental benefits due to: (a) the geographical location or the local environmental conditions of the installation concerned; or (b) the technical characteristics of the installation concerned. We would like to suggest a text that allows decision making to include weighting of the prevention (of potential) negative effects on human health. A proposal for this is presented below: Member states have a certain margin of discretion. Introducing prevention and minimizing (potential) negative effects on human health as stated in article 15 (4) as an important aspect to set emission limit values would guarantee a role of human health in decision making. The altered text we would like to suggest is: “By way of derogation from paragraph 3, and without prejudice to Article 18, the competent authority may, in specific cases, set less strict emission limit values.

Such a derogation may apply only where an assessment shows that the achievement of emission levels associated with the best available techniques as described in BAT conclusions would lead to disproportionately higher costs compared to the environmental benefits due to: (a) the geographical location or the local environmental conditions of the installation concerned; or (b) the technical characteristics of the installation concerned.”… “The competent authority shall in any case ensure that no significant pollution and negative effects on human health are caused and that a high level of protection of the environment and human health as a whole is achieved, including prevention if significant risks (may) occur.” In her judgement Cordella and Others v. Italy (ECtHR: nos. 54413/13 and 54262/15), concerning an Italian steel factory, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) stated that (a prolongation of) environmental damage endangering the health and well-being of citizens in the region was – under the circumstances mentioned in this judgement - a violation of article 8 European Convention on Human Rights (the respect for private and family life).

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Industrial Emissions Directive (IED, 2010/75/EU), article 18, local environmental and human health conditions Further we suggest to change article 18. We would like to ask your specific attention for this article. A change of article 18 would provide support for authorities in the IJmond Region to implement stricter permit conditions if negative effects on human health (may) occur. Our text proposal provides the option to give the prevention of (potential negative health effect on human health a higher weighting. The following is our text proposal:

“Article 18 Environmental quality standards and human health conditions Where an environmental quality standard or local human health conditions requires stricter conditions than those achievable by the use of the best available techniques, additional measures shall be included in the permit, without prejudice to other measures which may be taken to comply with environmental quality standards.” We have great concern that the current article 15 and 18 of the Industrial Emissions Directive restricts possibilities to prescribe stricter air-emission permits and is an obstacle to reach the goals of the Zero Pollution Action Plan and the latest standards of the World Health Organization. By looking mainly to costs and environmental quality standards in decision making regarding article 15 and 18 – (also) in an local environment where mandatory limits for air quality concentrations are respected – no significant steps can be taken to improve human health on the short term. A guidance for public authorities with examples how to use these articles to improve local environmental en health conditions – including the minimization of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals - would also be a big support.

BAT Reference Documents (BREFs) Finally we urgently ask you to review crucial BAT Reference Documents (BREFs), starting by a review of the BREF on Iron and steel production, in order to implement modern and cleaner techniques.

Choices We realize financial costs play a big role in decisions to invest in techniques but the health conditions of the people in the IJmond Region give us no other choice than to establish a legal basis for implementing clean and sustainable techniques which benefit the environment, natural habitats and biodiversity as well. With kind regards,

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> Return address Postbus 20901 2500 EX Den Haag Bestuurskern Dir Duurzame Leefomgeving & Circulaire Economie / Leefomgeving 's-Gravenhage Postbus 20901 2500 EX Den Haag

Date Subject

27 September 2021 EU Environmental law in relation to Tata Steel Netherlands

Dear Commissioner,

As you know, the Netherlands attaches great importance to the most ambitious environmental policy possible. This includes high aims for further improving air quality in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe. Since my appointment in early August to the post of State Secretary for the Environment in my country’s current caretaker government, it has been my responsibility to pursue these aims. I am eager to sustain the constructive partnership that my predecessor Stientje van Veldhoven enjoyed with you, and I look forward to an opportunity soon for a personal meeting with you. As an EU member state, the Netherlands supports the ambitious objectives of the Green Deal and the Zero Pollution Action Plan. My political aims as State Secretary are fully in line with these objectives. The goal of European environmental policy is, in brief, to reduce all forms of pollution to levels to zero by 2050. The need to achieve this goal, and to view environmental and climate policy as integral parts of a whole, is underlined in the Netherlands by (among other things) the environmental situation around the Tata Steel Netherlands plant in IJmuiden. I would like in this letter to elucidate various details of this situation. Tata Steel Netherlands in IJmuiden produces high quality steel for clients including the European packaging material and car industries.

However, the plant is also a major source of air pollution and CO2 emissions. There have been concerns for years about the environment and local people’s health in the densely populated surrounding area. Recent research carried out by our National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has shown that the dust deposited outside and in homes around Tata Steel Netherlands contains elevated concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and metals. The quantities of lead and PAH in the dust to which children in the area are exposed is, in RIVM’s opinion, unacceptably high from the standpoint of their health. RIVM had already concluded in the past that family doctors in the IJmond region see more patients with acute symptoms than doctors elsewhere, and that the air quality is often mediocre to unsatisfactory.

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A broad public discussion has now begun about the nuisance that the company is causing for the surrounding area and about the best scenarios for the future. In addition to the plant’s impact on the surrounding environment and on health, commercial, social and societal issues feature prominently in this discussion. The company has recently opted for a scenario with an accelerated transition to a new, cleaner way of making steel with hydrogen and green energy. I attach importance to ensuring that the impact of steel production on the environment and on residents’ health be fully taken into account in decisions about the future.

Bestuurskern Dir Duurzame Leefomg & Circ Economie Leefomgeving Date 27 September 2021

The instruments currently available still offer some scope for improving the quality of the environment around Tata Steel Netherlands. This can be done for example by imposing stricter environmental permit conditions, including for non-regular emissions (peak loads). I am discussing this possibility with the authorities of the Province of North Holland, which is responsible for issuing these permits. At the same time, I am convinced that steps must also be taken at European level to further tighten existing environmental law. As part of the Zero Pollution Action Plan, both the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED, 2010/75/EU) and the Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) are being reviewed. The parties to the Dutch Clean Air Agreement set out their expectations for these two reviews in their letter of 7 April 2021. In order to ensure that there is an adequate basis in the middle and long run for stringent emissions standards that improve the health situation around industrial facilities, I believe it is of great importance for the European Commission to approach the review of these two Directives with high ambitions. The Dutch position on the IED can be summarised as follows: the IED standards for industrial emissions into the air and water must, where possible, be tightened up.

This means that the range of permitted emission limit values must be narrowed, so as not only to create a more level playing field but also to compel companies to use cleaner production methods. The Netherlands also favours reflecting on the goals for climate, circular economy and substances of very high concern in the review of the Industrial Emissions Directive. Furthermore, the IED should preferably promote the rollout of innovative, clean techniques and the BAT Reference Documents (BREFs) should be reviewed more rapidly than is currently the case. With regard to this last point, I would remind you that the most recent version of the BREF on iron and steel production dates back to 2012, while BREFs are intended to be reviewed every eight years. For this reason, I strongly urge you to have the process start soon of reviewing the BREF on iron and steel production, and of other now outdated BREFs such as the BREF on emissions from storage. The Netherlands advocates the adoption of more stringent emission standards in these BREFs. As for the review of the Ambient Air Quality Directive, the Netherlands supports the principle that its air quality standards should be brought more in line with the latest standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), which will be tightened up for particulates and nitrogen oxides in particular.

A recent report from our Health Council 1 also points out the health risks of the emission of ultrafine particles and the need to measure and reduce their concentrations. The environmental situation around Tata Steel Netherlands shows that it is also important to determine to what extent a standard for the deposition of heavy 1

Risico’s van ultrafijnstof in de buitenlucht, Gezondheidsraad, 15 september 2021 Page 2 of 3

metals such as lead can contribute to the effective protection of public health, supplementing the air quality standards included in the Fourth Daughter Directive (2004/107/EC). The example of Tata Steel Netherlands also demonstrates that in densely populated areas, impacted by multiple sources of pollution and emissions of several different substances of very high concern, standards need to be set that take account of cumulative effects. I note that an approach of this nature is necessary in order to impose stricter permit conditions on industrial complexes like Tata Steel Netherlands. It is therefore a positive development that the Commission is currently working on a method for doing this: the Mixture Assessment Factor (MAF), as a specific elaboration of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. The Netherlands and several other member states are closely involved in this effort. Progress now needs to be sustained so that a feasible method can be arrived at.

Bestuurskern Dir Duurzame Leefomg & Circ Economie Leefomgeving Date 27 September 2021

The current environmental problems surrounding the Tata Steel Netherlands plant in IJmuiden call for both a national and a European approach. The steps mentioned above towards stricter European Directives can make a major contribution to the successful implementation of the Zero Pollution Action Plan. Finally I want to stress that, next to more stringent environmental standards, more is needed. The transition towards a clean, climate-neutral and circular industry asks for an effective integral approach. This requires, amongst others, revision of state aid frameworks for the scaling up and use of breakthrough technologies like the use of hydrogen in steel production. The Netherlands would like to further discuss this issue with the Commissioners responsible for this. I would be glad to continue this discussion with you, and hope that you will respond positively to this letter. Yours sincerely,

the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management,

S.P.R.A. van Weyenberg

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