Preliminary draft for the odour regulation in the Chilean pig sector has been published

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 NormaChilePorcino
Image source: Chilean Ministry of Environment

   On July 22, 2020, the Ministry of the Environment of Chile (MMA Chile) published in its Official Journal the "Extract of the draft standard for the emission of pollutants in pig farms that, due to their odors, generate discomfort and constitute a risk to the quality of life of the population".

   This preliminary draft will be available for public consultation, a stage in which citizens will be able to make their observations by entering the portal www.consultasciudadanas.mma.gob.cl, with a period of 60 working days, which will be counted after the State of Disaster that applies in the country has been lifted.

   The MMA has another 4 odour standards in mind for the coming years: for the fishing sector, for sewage treatment plants, for cellulose plants and for final waste disposal sites.

   The aim of this proposed draft standard is to protect the health of the population and to improve their quality of life.

   The standard will be applicable to the entire Chilean territory, for the emitting sources defined as breeding, fattening and/or reproduction of pigs whose quantity is equal or higher than 750 animals and whose weight is above 25 kilograms.

   Two types of odour limits are established according to the emission reduction efficiencies and to the limit values in the receptors:

1. Odour Emission Limit by Reduction Efficiency for existing emission sources that include slurry ponds as part of their production process:

 Categorization of the existing source

 Maximum limits

 Between 750 and 12,500 pigs

Pond odour reduction of at least 70% measured from the base condition.

 > 12,500 pigs

Pond odour reduction of at least 75% measured from the base condition.
Having a period of 3 years to comply with the limits from the entry into force of the standard.

2. The Odour Emission Limit for Reduction Efficiency in new emission sources must have at least a 50% reduction for buildings, and 70% for ponds.

3. For pig farms with more than 25,000 pigs, there is a Receptor Odour Emission Limit value for emitting sources so that the concentration in ambient air does not exceed the following thresholds in the receptors:

 

Odour Concentration [ouE/m3]

Annual average hourly percentile

 For existing farms

5

95

 For new farms

3

98

   If they do not exist, these limits must be complied with at least 500 meters from the pig holding. A period of 3 years is established for existing farms to comply with this standard.

   For the calculation of emissions, all odour sources that are part of the emitting source must be sampled by measuring the odour concentration of each one of them, at least once a year and considering the most adverse operational conditions. In addition, odour emissions should be modelled to assess the limit in the receptor.

   To date, 103 existing pig farms are affected by this future Chilean legislation.

   All the documents related to this draft has been published in the official site about odours of the Ministry of the Environment of Chile. (Unfortunately only available in Spanish)

 

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Cyntia Izquierdo