Controlling emissions in the bulk chemical process industries - Driving forces for emission reduction

This paper considers the progression of emission control as it applies to the bulk manufacture of chemicals and takes ICI's site at Runcorn, Cheshire as an example. Pressure for change arising from internal targets and improvement plans, legislation, global economics and public opinion has and will continue to have enormous effect on the industry, which faces some difficult decisions about its future. The late 1980's brought a step change in the amount of attention paid to environmental releases, the impact of which will be felt for many years to come. The rapid pace of change, compounded by occasional leaps forward on specific issues is unlikely to reduce. Against this backdrop the process industries have made improvements of which they can be justifiably proud. Unfortunately legislative and public pressure has the tendency to address the "issue of the day" and could detract from the necessary consolidation processes which must follow any response to step change.