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On May 24, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) introduced three national standards on emission of air pollutants, including the Standard for Fugitive Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (GB 37822-2019) [1], the Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Pharmaceutical Industry (GB 37823-2019) [2], and the Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Paint, Ink and Adhesive Industry (GB 37824-2019) [3]. All three standards will come into effect starting from July 1 this year.
GB 37822-2019 is devised to enhance the regulation and management of fugitive emission of VOCs. The standard specifies requirements on controlling fugitive emission of VOCs for certain premises, operations, and facilities, including storage, transfer, and transportation of VOCs-containing materials, relevant technical processes, etc.
According to the standard, the monitoring of VOCs emission within and around the boundaries of factories should be practiced in line with the Integrated Emission Standard of Air Pollutants (GB 16297-1996) [4] or relevant industry standards, and local authorities of ecology and environment can implement monitoring programs to meet their own needs.
GB 37823-2019 and GB 37824-2019 provide requirements on emission control, monitoring, and regulation of air pollutants for businesses and facilities in the pharmaceutical industry and the paint, ink and adhesive industry, respectively.
With regard to both organized and fugitive emission of air pollutants, new facilities should work in line with relevant requirements in the standards since July 1, 2019, while existing facilities are required to do so starting from July 1, 2020. This means that GB 16297-1996 will no longer be applicable to such facilities. Moreover, businesses in key areas are subject to special requirements on emission of air pollutants.
As noted in the two standards, provincial-level governments are allowed to develop emission standards for pollutants not mentioned therein, and formulate even more stringent standards for pollutants already included in them.
