SR2021 No 10: generic risk assessment for anaerobic digestion of non-hazardous sludge at a waste water treatment works, including the use of the resultant biogas - GOV.UK

2021-12-23 06:34:47 By : Ms. Tina Wang

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sr2021-no-10-anaerobic-digestion-of-non-hazardous-sludge-at-a-waste-water-treatment-works-including-the-use-of-the-resultant-biogas/sr2021-no-10-generic-risk-assessment-for-anaerobic-digestion-of-non-hazardous-sludge-at-a-waste-water-treatment-works-including-the-use-of-the-resul

The Part A installation must have the capacity to treat more than 100 tonnes of waste, or a combination of waste and non-waste in any one day.

The Environment Agency produces the generic risk assessments for all standard rules permits. These list the potential risks and how to manage them.

Check this generic risk assessment to understand:

Risk management involves breaking or limiting the source-pathway-receptor linkage to reduce the risk. If we set minimum distances, we explain the basis of the distance, for example by modelling.

We will control the residual risk (after risk management) when we assess compliance.

If you need to check the meaning of any terms we have used (in the context of this risk assessment), see the explanation of terms.

This generic risk assessment is based on the following parameters.

Permitted activities s5.4 A(1)(b)(i) are:

The permitted wastes are biodegradable wastes suitable for digestion – sewage sludge and septic tank sludge only).

The maximum quantity of waste received on site each day including solids and liquids shall not exceed the designed storage capacity of the site.

Except for the auxiliary flare, the aggregate rated thermal input of all appliances used to burn biogas must be less than 5 megawatts.

These rules do not allow any point source emission into land, surface waters or groundwater under control of the permit

The site must be a minimum distance from certain types of sensitive receptors. It cannot be within:

NOx, SOx, CO and other gases travel through the air and can be inhaled.

We have assessed the potential harm to human health as follows:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because there is potential for exposure to:

The following manages the risk:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

Bioaerosols travel through the air and can be inhaled.

We have assessed the potential harm to human health as follows:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because there is potential for release when waste is received and treated.

The following manages the risk:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

Odour travels through the air and can be inhaled.

We have assessed the potential risk to the local population as:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because local residents are sensitive to odour. Odour can result from:

The following manages the risk:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

Noise travels through the air and vibration through the ground.

We have assessed the potential risk to the local population as:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because local residents can be sensitive to noise and vibration. However, there is low potential for exposure.

The following manages the risk:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

There is a risk of direct physical contact with all on-site hazards such as wastes, machinery and vehicles.

There is a risk of causing injury to humans or livestock.

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because it is carried out within enclosed digesters so physical contact is minimised.

The following manages the risk:

Taking this action will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

Arson and vandalism risk causing the release of polluting materials to the air (smoke or fumes), water or land.

Arson and vandalism can cause:

We have assessed the potential harm as:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because:

As risk 2.1 plus the following manages the risk:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

An explosion of biogas risks causing:

We have assessed the potential harm as:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because the risk is reduced by an effective management system being in place, as required by the permit.

However, biogas is flammable, and the consequences are likely to be serious, including risk to:

This risk is managed in the same way as risks 2.1 and 3.1 and these additional measures:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

Fire can cause polluting materials to travel through:

We have assessed the potential harm as:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because biogas is flammable and the consequences are likely to be serious and include risk to:

This risk is managed in the same way as risks 2.1, 3.1 and 3.2 along with:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

We have assessed the acute effects as:

We have assessed the harm as:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because of the potential for spillage from digestion tanks and storage vessels.

The following manages the risk:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

We have assessed the chronic effects as deterioration of water quality.

We have assessed the harm as:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because of the potential for spillage from digestion tanks and storage vessels.

The following manages the risk:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

These risks relate to watercourses downstream of a facility and to water for agricultural or potable use.

This receptor is at risk from spillage of digestate liquids due to tank failure.

There is a risk of contaminants, including oil, travelling through direct run-off from the site across ground surface, through surface water drains and ditches and finally through abstraction. This could have acute effects and cause the closure of abstraction intakes.

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because of the potential for spillage from digestion tanks and storage vessels.

Risk management is as set out in risks 4.1 and 4.2.

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

Groundwater is at risk from spillage from digestate tanks and storage vessels.

There is a risk of contaminants travelling through soil to groundwater which can then be abstracted from a borehole. This could have a chronic effect resulting in the groundwater requiring treatment or causing closure of a borehole.

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because of the potential for spillage from digestion tanks and storage vessels.

Managing the risk is the same as risk 5 as well as:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

There is a risk of fugitive releases of volatile organic compounds such as methane from storage of gas bags, lagoons, tanks, vents and pipe work.

We have assessed the harm as:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because:

The following manages the risk:

Taking these actions will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

Protected sites can be at risk from any source and by any pathway. However, the main risk is from ammonia and NOx.

The risk of harm to protected sites include (but are not limited to) the following:

The reasons for giving the activity this rating is because physical disturbance and emissions to air may cause harm to and deterioration of nature conservation sites.

The following manages the risk:

Taking this action will control the risk and rate it as ‘low’.

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