ENVIRONMENTOR - Facilitating the Implementation of the IPPC Legislation through the use of a Web-Based Environmental Consultancy Toolkit

As with all materials, there are economic and environmental pros and cons associated with the use of plastics. An example is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), a widely used thermoplastic polymer and one of the most valuable products in the chemical industry in terms of revenue generated. PVC is used in a number of industrial sectors namely construction, automotive, packaging, medical care, and agriculture. Over 50% of all PVC manufactured is utilised for construction. Although it is the world’s second most commonly used plastic, it is also the most harmful to health and the environment as it is one of the world’s largest dioxin sources. Dioxin is a powerful chemical which disrupts hormone activity in organisms. This chemical modifies the functioning and genetic mechanisms of cells, causing a wide range of effects, such as cancer, reduced immunity, disorders in the nervous system, miscarriages and birth defects. In response to these growing health and environmental concerns, the European plastics sector together with other sectors whose activity may harm the environment are being subjected to increasing European legislations. The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) directive is one such example aimed at preventing, reducing or eliminating pollution through the efficient use of natural resources. A critical concern is the conformity issues which various companies have to face in order to satisfy the criteria laid down in the various European countries’ national legislatures derived from the EU IPPC directive. This includes preparing an IPPC permit application which is time consuming and expensive. In order to gain an environmental permit, operators have to illustrate how they are applying the “Best Available Techniques” (BAT) and meeting other sector specific requirements while also taking into account relevant local factors. A new installation cannot operate under the IPPC directive without a permit.

RTDs together with IPPC experts within the consortium suggested that an expert system could be used to assist these environmental consultants in preparing an IPPC application. This technology could also offer guidance on the implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS). Knowledge-base expert systems, or simply expert systems, use human knowledge to solve problems that normally would require human intelligence. Moreover, a multi-agent system will be specifically developed for the trading of greenhouse gases with other companies. The expert system together with the multi-agent trading system will be accessible via a rich client web interface which will allow the user to input data and view the results given. The proposed solution will enable environmental consultants to; • Keep up-to-date with the latest IPPC changes • Reduce the costs required to submit an IPPC application thus increasing their profit • Increase the success rate for each IPPC application submitted • Provide a platform to their clientele for the trading of greenhouse gases with other European companies • Provide better guidance on the implementation of an environmental management system (EMS)

IPPC, environment, plastics industry
EMS
EMAS
expert system
multi-agent system
Environmental consultancy toolkit,
Web-based system

Partner #1: located in Poznan, Poland. The company provides consulting services in the field of environmental protection including water and natural resources management, environmental impact assessment and IPPC. The company has a team of well-educated specialists of various domains, occupied by the environment protection. Role in the Consortium: Partner #1 will provide their contribution during the system architecture, assistance in the analysis of the IPPC directive and in the validation of the final system. Expected Benefit: Partner #1, as an end-user of the proposed tool, will benefit directly from the project results. Due to their limited experience in offering consultancy services to the plastic sector, ENVIRONMENTOR will be ensured a smooth entry into the market by provision of the necessary expert knowledge on the plastic industry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Partner #2: located in Ankara, Turkey. They specialize in the development of enterprise level for both local and international markets. Partner #2 team is a mixture of highly experienced IT developers, researchers and software engineers. The company has also participated in 2 EU funded projects under the FP6 IST programme Role in the Consortium: Having an extensive knowledge in the IT sector, the company will participate in the development of the system interface and will also lend a hand in the system architecture. Apart from that they will also help in the exploitation of the results. Expected Benefit: Partner #2, will gain knowledge on expert systems in a new sector (environmental legislation specifically for the plastic industry). They will also have an additional IT tool in their product portfolio.