FE220 Monitoring and control practices of emissions in pulp and paper industry in Finland

Kristina Saarinen, Timo Jouttijärvi and Kaj Forsius, 1998

Finnish Environment 220, environmental protection, p. 38
URN:ISBN:9521103086. The publication is available only in printed form ISBN 952-11-0308-6.

Abstract

Integrated monitoring of pulp and paper industry emissions and their impacts has been under development in Finland recently. The purpose is to harmonize the practices from sampling to reporting in the whole country as well as to find relevant monitoring parameters. Harmonization and quality assurance of the monitoring results are needed to get comparable data for reviewing the compliance of both national requirements and international agreements.

The Finnish environmental legislation requires the operator to be aware of the emissions and their impacts on the environment. The competent environmental authority gives provisions for the operation. The operator can choose the measures to comply with the provisions. The authority approves the monitoring plan, according to which the plants carry out the measurements themselves or using a consultant. The operators have to clarify the emission levels and their changes in normal operation and to inform the authorities of the methods used in monitoring. They also have to report how the information is produced. The monitorin programmes, monitoring results and reports are available to the public. During unannouncex inspections the authorities check different parts of the self-monitoring system to ensure that the monitoring is carried out in an appropriate way.