Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of facilities for the extraction, production and processing asbestos and asbestos-containing products
Among the types of planned activities and facilities that have a significant impact on the environment and, accordingly, belong to the 1st category, today we will consider the construction from theextraction, production and processing asbestos and asbestos-containig products. According to the Law of Ukraine “On Environmental Impact Assessment”, these include:
– asbestos cement products with a capacity of more than 20,000 tons per year;
– friction materials with a capacity of more than 50 tons per year of finished products;
– other products with a capacity of more than 200 tons per year.
The review of documents on obtaining an approval of the environmental impact assessment of this type of planned activity is carried out through the body of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.
Let’s consider in more detail the impact of this planned activity and its increased level of danger for the environment and the population. In Ukraine, asbestos is only imported, but notextracted . The technical characteristics of asbestos, as a mineral, are fire and frost resistant, anticorrosive, therefore it is widely used in construction, manufacturing ofautomotive equipment , chemical industry, etc. So, for example, most enterprises of the asbestos cement industry (roofing materials (slate, tiles), water and sewage pipes, facing tiles, etc.) are located near cement plants.
In theextraction , production and processing of asbestos and asbestos-containing products, the main danger is the formation of dust, as the fine fibers are considered toxic and can cause a number of respiratory diseases. In this case, amphibole asbestos is considered more dangerous than chrysotile (white asbestos), because the fibers of the first onehave an acicular structure due to iron and, when they get into the lungs, stay there for a long time. However, in compliance with safety rules and the use of PPE (personal protective equipment), as well as with professional design of facilities at the initial stages of production development, risks are reduced.
Article 27 of the Law of Ukraine on the Public Health System (as of August 16, 2022, it is in the second reading) states the possibility of banning the production and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in technological processes and during construction and installation works atfacilities . Safety and protection measures against the harmful effects of asbestos and asbestos-containing products are determined by state health and sanitary regulations. The issue of the ban is related to Ukraine’s accession to the EU, where the ban on the extraction and use of asbestos began in 2005.
Now this type of activity -facilities for the extraction , production and processing asbestos and asbestos-containing products requires the environmental impact assessment procedurere, which directly takes into account studies of the impact on the state of atmospheric air, soils, water bodies (ifpresent ) on the environment and humans health. You can find out more about the procedure for environmental impact assessment by following the link, in the Law of Ukraine “On Environmental Impact Assessment”, regarding the preparation of the report – General Methodological Recommendations on the Content and Procedure for Compiling an Environmental Impact Assessment Report.
The MCL company has experience in conducting an environmental impact assessment for I and II categories of planned activities and conducting research to determine the impact on flora and fauna in the territory of planned activities.