Regulation on Pollutant Release and Transfer Register is in force!
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (‘PRTR’) can be defined as an inventory open to public containing information about which chemicals are released to where, how and by whom. Chemicals or pollutants released into the air, soil or water or transferred off-site for reclamation are registered to PRTR. Globally, PRTR studies were initiated in accordance with the Agenda 21 action plan adopted at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Conference) held in 1992. In Turkey a pilot application was carried out on PRTR in İzmir by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2006-2007.
Eventually, Regulation on Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (‘Regulation’) is published in Official Gazette and entered into force on 04.12.2021. The Regulation is prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (‘Ministry’) within the framework of harmonization with the Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of European Parliament and Council.
The Regulation covers the following industries:
- Energy
- Mining
- Metal production and processing
- Chemical industry
- Waste and wastewater management
- Paper and wood production and processing
- Intensive livestock production and aquaculture
- Animal (slaughterhouse, raw milk etc.) and vegetable products from the food and beverage industry
- Other activities (leather tannage, shipbuilding etc.)
Operators subject to the regulation are obliged to first register their facilities with the PRTR system and then annually report the amount of pollutants listed in the Regulation that were released into the air, water and soil. The information in these reports will be checked and verified by the relevant governor’s office and finally approved by the Ministry. The PRTR established based these reports will be made available on internet to the public access by the Ministry.
Although the Regulation entered into force on 04.12.2021, different effective dates are provided for different industries:
- For energy: 04.12.2021
- For mining: 04.12.2022
- For metal production and processing: 04.12.2021
- For chemical industry: 04.12.2022
- For waste and wastewater management: 04.12.2023
- For paper and wood production and processing: 04.12.2023
- For intensive livestock production and aquaculture: 04.12.2024
- For animal and vegetable products from the food and beverage industry: 04.12.2024
- For other activities: 04.12.2024
Operators that do not fulfil their obligations under the Regulation will face administrative sanctions in accordance with the Law on Environment No. 2872.