Environmental Protection Act 1994Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 20191Short titleThis policy may be cited as the Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2019.2CommencementThis policy commences on 1 September 2019.3DefinitionsThe dictionary in schedule 2 defines particular words used in this policy.4ApplicationThis policy applies to the air environment.5Purpose(1)The purpose of this policy is to achieve the object of the Act in relation to the air environment.Note—See section 3 of the Act.(2)The purpose is achieved by—(a)identifying environmental values to be enhanced or protected; and(b)stating indicators and air quality objectives for enhancing or protecting the environmental values; and(c)providing a framework for making consistent, equitable and informed decisions about the air environment.
6Environmental valuesThe environmental values to be enhanced or protected under this policy are—(a)the qualities of the air environment that are conducive to protecting the health and biodiversity of ecosystems; and(b)the qualities of the air environment that are conducive to human health and wellbeing; and(c)the qualities of the air environment that are conducive to protecting the aesthetics of the environment, including the appearance of buildings, structures and other property; and(d)the qualities of the air environment that are conducive to protecting agricultural use of the environment.
7Air quality objectives for indicators(1)This section and schedule 1 state the air quality objectives to be achieved and maintained under this policy.(2)An air quality objective stated in schedule 1, column 3 for an indicator stated in column 1 and for a period stated in column 4 is stated for enhancing or protecting the environmental value stated in column 2 of the schedule for the objective.(3)An air quality objective stated in schedule 1, column 3 must be worked out as an average over the period stated in column 4 for the objective.(4)Despite subsection (2), an environmental value may be enhanced or protected in an area or place if the amount of an indicator in the air environment in the area or place is more than the amount of the air quality objective stated in schedule 1, column 3 for the indicator for not more than the number of days stated in column 5 of the schedule for the indicator.(5)It is intended that the air quality objectives be progressively achieved as part of achieving the purpose of this policy over the long term.(6)This section does not apply to an air emission that may be experienced within a residence or workplace if the air emission is released within the residence or workplace.(7)In this section—workplace see the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, section 8.8Management hierarchy for air emissions(1)This section states the management hierarchy for an activity involving air emissions that affect, or may affect, an environmental value to be enhanced or protected under this policy.Note—See section 35 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019.(2)To the extent that it is reasonable to do so, air emissions must be dealt with in the following order of preference—(a)firstly—avoid air emissions;Example for paragraph (a)—using technology that avoids air emissions(b)secondly—recycle air emissions;Example for paragraph (b)——re-using air emissions in another industrial process(c)thirdly—minimise air emissions;Example for paragraph (c)—using technology, materials or industrial processes that minimise air emissions(d)fourthly—manage air emissions.Examples for paragraph (d)—•locating a thing that releases air emissions in a suitable area to minimise the impact of the air emissions•treating air emissions before release•dispersing air emissions to minimise the impact of the air emissions
9RepealThe Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2008, SL No. 441 is repealed.Schedule 1Air quality objectivessection 7Column 1Column 2Column 3Column 4Column 5
IndicatorEnvironmental valueAir quality objectivesPeriodDays
µg/m3 (except where noted)ppm (volume/volume)
1.2-dichloroethanehealth and wellbeing7640.17324 hours
1.3-butadienehealth and wellbeing2.40.0011 year
arsenic and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM10)health and wellbeing6ng/m31 year
benzenehealth and wellbeing5.40.0021 year
benzo(a)pyrene (as a marker for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)health and wellbeing0.3ng/m31 year
cadmium and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM10)health and wellbeing5ng/m31 year
carbon disulfidehealth and wellbeing1090.03224 hours
protecting aesthetic environment220.00630 minutes
carbon monoxidehealth and wellbeing11mg/m398 hours1 day each year
dichloromethanehealth and wellbeing3.3mg/m30.924 hours
0.49mg/m30.131 week
fluoridehealth and biodiversity of ecosystems (other than protected areas)2.924 hours
0.8430 days
0.590 days
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (for protected areas)0.190 days
protecting agriculture1.524 hours
0.430 days
0.2590 days
formaldehydehealth and wellbeing540.0424 hours
protecting aesthetic environment1090.08230 minutes
hydrogen sulfidehealth and wellbeing1640.10824 hours
protecting aesthetic environment7.50.00530 minutes
inorganic mercury vapourhealth and wellbeing1.11 year
lead and compounds (measured as the total metal content in total suspended particles)health and wellbeing0.51 year
manganese and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM10)health and wellbeing0.161 year
nickel and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM10)health and wellbeing22ng/m31 year
nitrogen dioxidehealth and wellbeing2500.121 hr1 day each year
620.031 year
health and biodiversity of ecosystems330.0161 year
ozonehealth and wellbeing2100.101 hr1 day each year
1710.084 hours1 day each year
ozone (measured as accumulated exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb during daylight hours)protecting agriculture0.2 ppm-hr5 days
3 ppm-hr3 months
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (for semi-natural vegetation)3 ppm-hr3 months
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (for natural or uncultivated areas)10 ppm-hr6 months
PM2.5health and wellbeing2524 hours
81 year
PM10health and wellbeing5024 hours
health and wellbeing251 year
styrenehealth and wellbeing2840.0611 week
protecting aesthetic environment760.01630 minutes
sulfatehealth and wellbeing2724 hours
sulfur dioxidehealth and wellbeing5700.21 hr1 day each year
2290.081 day1 day each year
570.021 year
protecting agriculture310.0111 year
health and biodiversity of ecosystems (for forests and natural vegetation)210.00751 year
tetrachloroethylenehealth and wellbeing0.27mg/m30.0371 year
protecting aesthetic environment8.7mg/m31.230 minutes
toluenehealth and wellbeing4.1mg/m3124 hours
4000.11 year
protecting aesthetic environment1.1mg/m30.330 minutes
total suspended particleshealth and wellbeing901 year
vanadium and compounds (measured as the total metal content in PM10)health and wellbeing1.124 hours
vinyl chloride monomerhealth and wellbeing280.01024 hours
visibility reducing particlesprotecting aesthetic environment20km visibility in the air environment1 hr
xylenes (as a total of ortho, meta and para isomers)health and wellbeing1.2mg/m30.2524 hours
9500.21 year
Schedule 2Dictionarysection 3air emission means a substance released into the air.air environment means the part of the environment of an area or place characterised by the air emissions that may be experienced there.air quality objective, for an area or place, means—(a)for an air quality objective for an indicator that is the amount of the visibility in the air environment—the minimum amount of visibility that should be in the air environment of the area or place despite the presence of the indicator; or(b)otherwise—the maximum level that an indicator should be in the air environment of the area or place.
equivalent aerodynamic diameter, in relation to a particle (a measured particle), means a length equivalent to the diameter of a spherical particle with a density of 1g/cm3 that has the same settling velocity as the measured particle.health and biodiversity of ecosystems means the environmental value mentioned in section 6(a).health and wellbeing means the environmental value mentioned in section 6(b).indicator means a contaminant that may be present in the air environment.mg/m3 means milligram per cubic metre at 0 degrees Celsius and an atmospheric pressure of 1.ng/m3 means nanogram per cubic metre at 0 degrees Celsius and an atmospheric pressure of 1.PM2.5 means particles in the air environment with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter of not more than 2.5 microns.PM10 means particles in the air environment with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter of not more than 10 microns.ppb means parts for each billion.ppm means parts for each million.ppm-hr, for an indicator, means the average concentration of the indicator measured in parts for each million, multiplied by the length of time in hours to which the average applies.protected area see the Nature Conservation Act 1992, schedule.protecting aesthetic environment means the environmental value mentioned in section 6(c).protecting agriculture means the environmental value mentioned in section 6(d).residence includes a building, or part of a building, capable of being used as a dwelling.total suspended particles means particles in the air environment with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter of less than 100 microns.µg/m3 means microgram per cubic metre at 0 degrees Celsius and an atmospheric pressure of 1.