The Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

SECTION 4.1 ORGANIC CHEMICALS

Part A

(a) Producing organic chemicals such as–

(i) hydrocarbons (linear or cyclic, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic);

(ii) organic compounds containing oxygen, such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, ethers, peroxides, phenols, epoxy resins;

(iii) organic compounds containing sulphur, such as sulphides, mercaptans, sulphonic acids, sulphonates, sulphates and sulphones and sulphur heterocyclics;

(iv) organic compounds containing nitrogen, such as amines, amides, nitrous-, nitro- or azo-compounds, nitrates, nitriles, nitrogen heterocyclics, cyanates, isocyanates, di-isocyanates and di-isocyanate prepolymers;

(v) organic compounds containing phosphorus, such as substituted phosphines and phosphate esters;

(vi) organic compounds containing halogens, such as halocarbons, halogenated aromatic compounds and acid halides;

(vii) organometallic compounds, such as lead alkyls, Grignard reagents and lithium alkyls;

(viii) plastic materials, such as polymers, synthetic fibres and cellulose-based fibres;

(ix) synthetic rubbers;

(x) dyes and pigments;

(xi) surface-active agents

(b) Producing any other organic compounds not described in paragraph (a).

(c) Polymerising or co-polymerising any unsaturated hydrocarbon or vinyl chloride (other than a pre-formulated resin or pre-formulated gel coat which contains any unsaturated hydrocarbon) which is likely to involve, in any period of 12 months, the polymerisation or co-polymerisation of 50 tonnes or more of any of those materials or, in aggregate, of any combination of those materials.

(d) Any activity involving the use in any period of 12 months of one tonne or more of toluene di-isocyanate or other di-isocyanate of comparable volatility or, where partly polymerised, the use of partly polymerised di-isocyanates or prepolymers containing one tonne or more of those monomers, if the activity may result in a release into the air which contains such a di-isocyanate monomer.

(e) The flame bonding of polyurethane foams or polyurethane elastomers.

(f) Recovering–

(i) carbon disulphide;

(ii) pyridine or any substituted pyridine.

(g) Recovering or purifying acrylic acid, substituted acrylic acid or any ester of acrylic acid or of substituted acrylic acid.

Part B

(a) Unless falling within Part A of this Section, any activity involving in any period of 12 months–

(i) the use of less than 1 tonne of toluene di-isocyanate or other di-isocyanate of comparable volatility or, where partially polymerised, the use of partly polymerised di-isocyanates or prepolymers containing less than 1 tonne of those monomers; or

(ii) the use of 5 tonnes or more of diphenyl methane di-isocyanate or other di-isocyanate of much lower volatility than toluene di-isocyanate or, where partly polymerised, the use of partly polymerised di-isocyanates or prepolymers containing 5 tonnes or more of these less volatile monomers;

where the activity may result in a release into the air which contains such a di-isocyanate monomer.

(b) Cutting polyurethane foams or polyurethane elastomers with heated wires.

(c) Any activity for the polymerisation or co-polymerisation of any pre-formulated resin or pre-formulated gel coat which contains any unsaturated hydrocarbon, where the activity is likely to involve, in any period of 12 months, the polymerisation or co-polymerisation of 100 tonnes or more of unsaturated hydrocarbon.

Part C

Nil

Interpretation of Section 4.1

In this Section, “pre-formulated resin or pre-formulated gel coat” means any resin or gel coat which has been formulated before being introduced into polymerisation or co-polymerisation activity, whether or not the resin or gel coat contains a colour pigment, activator or catalyst.