Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018: ​Proposed Standard Conditions for Registration level activities
3.2.7. Blending or use of cement in bulk
This activity applies to sites which are carrying out activities such as bagging of cement, batching of ready-mix concrete and manufacture of concrete and other cement products.
Activity description
Blending cement in bulk or using cement in bulk other than at a construction site, including the bagging of cement and cement mixture, the batching of ready-mixed concrete and the manufacture of concrete blocks and other cement products.
Standard conditions
Below is the list of core and activity-specific standard conditions for blending or using cement in bulk.
- Dust emissions must be minimised by:
a. containment of dusty processes; and
b. suppressing dust using water.
- Aggregate and other potentially dusty materials must be:
a. stored in storage bays; and
b. not filled above the external wall height.
- Packing of cement must be carried out in totally enclosed purpose-built plant fitted with dust arrestment equipment.
- Arrestment equipment must be:
a. designed to emit <50mg/m3 of dust;
b. fully functional; and
c. fitted with continuously indicative monitor which provides visual and/or audible notification when 75% of the design emission limit is reached.
- Bulk cement must only be stored within the bulk cement silos.
- Bulk cement silos must be fitted with functioning pressure relief valves.
- Displaced air, resulting from delivery of bulk cement to silo, must either be:
a. vented to suitable arrestment equipment; or
b. back vented to the delivery tanker.
- Silos and bulk containers must have an overfilling alarm.
- When loading silos, deliveries must automatically stop where overfilling or over-pressurisation is identified.
- All deliveries to silo from road vehicles must only be made using vehicles fitted with onboard pressure relief valves and filtration equipment.
- Measures must be taken to prevent, or where that is not practicable, minimise:
a. dust; and
b. heat emissions
from the authorised activities.
- Dust from the authorised activities, which has a significant impact on the environment, people or property, must not be emitted beyond the boundary of the Authorised Place.
- All reasonable steps must be taken to prevent discharges to the water environment resulting from dust suppression activities, which may cause harm to the water environment.
- SEPA must be notified via its pollution hotline contact telephone number as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours of identification of an event, of any of the following:
a. an event that has caused or could cause adverse impact to the environment or harm to human health;
b. an event that results, or could result, in an emission to the environment that is not authorised; and
c. an event that has caused a breach of a condition of this authorisation.
In this condition, the meaning of ‘event’ is as defined in the Interpretation of Terms of this authorisation.
- All measures that are reasonably practicable must be taken to stop an event and to minimise its effect on the environment.
- Within 14 days of an event a report must be submitted to SEPA detailing:
a. the reason(s) for the event;
b. the action(s) taken to stop the event and minimise the impacts; and
c. the action(s) taken to prevent the event from reoccurring.
- All information recorded, kept or submitted to SEPA in accordance with a condition of this authorisation must be:
a. true and accurate;
b. kept for a minimum of six years; and
c. provided to SEPA upon request.
Interpretation of terms
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Aggregate | Inert granular materials such as sand, gravel or crushed stone used to make concrete. |
Arrestment equipment | Equipment used to mitigate the effects of emissions. |
Cement | Portland cements, high alumina cements and other powders used as cementitious materials which may be blended with other materials including for example: pulverised fuel ash (PFA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGFS), in accordance with British or European Standards. |
Dust | Suspended solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in air which may be deposited on surfaces and may cause air pollution and/or nuisance. |
Environmental harm |
|
Event |
|
Rationale
As dust is the main emission from this activity, the standard conditions are mainly focused on dust control. If you already have a permit for this activity, you will notice that the standard conditions proposed here are broadly similar, except for the requirement to minimise heat emissions, which ties into one of the general aims of EASR - namely to use resources in a sustainable way. Further information on what is expected from operators regarding the control of heat emissions will be contained in supporting guidance.