Decree 521/2022, of 7-12-2022, approving the Regulation relating to thermal waste treatment centers.

The present Decree approves the regulations relating to the centers for the thermal treatment of waste.
The Regulation provides the general conditions for the installation and operation of thermal waste treatment centres for incineration or energy recovery, as well as the minimum requirements for the measurements and self-checks that the centres must carry out in order to verify that the limits for emissions into the atmosphere and the limits for pollutants in wastewater are not exceeded. It also regulates the conditions for the admission, management and disposal of waste. It finally defines the acceptable limit values for emissions into the atmosphere and the acceptable limit values for pollutants in wastewater. The Regulation establishes that the Government may set more demanding operating conditions and limit values in the commissioning authorisations, in accordance with the best available techniques (BAT).
This Regulation applies to installations for the thermal treatment of non-hazardous waste, mainly domestic and similar waste, sanitary waste and sludge from non-hazardous sewage treatment plants. However, some specific exclusions are foreseen.
The text further sets up provisions on the installation capacity; on the general conditions for the design of the facilities; on the product reserves used to ensure the protection of the environment and the health of people.
Rules are also foreseen for the delivery and reception of waste establishing that the manager of the Thermal Treatment Centre must take all necessary precautions regarding the delivery and reception of waste in order to prevent or limit, as far as possible, negative effects on the environment, in particular on the pollution of air, soil, surface and groundwater, as well as odours, noise and direct risks to human health.