Invitation to participate in comparative measurements of particulate matter sensors for PM10

Informing residents of excess airborne levels is one of the key actions in the fight for clean air in the Malopolska Region. Recently, a wide range of particulate matter concentration measurement equipment is available on the market, which is of great interest to both the residents and local governments of the Malopolska Region.

The Malopolska Region, in co-operation with the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, the Voivodship Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Krakow, the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow and the Smog Alert Association, plans to organize comparative measurements of the PM10 sensors available on the market. The purpose is to verify and evaluate the reliability of the widely available measurement devices by comparing the results obtained with the results obtained by the Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection reference method.

The planned date of the commencement of measurements is January 16, 2017. The estimated measurement time is about 5 months. The measurements will be conducted at the Main Inspectorate of Environmental Protection. The condition of participation in the planned measurement is the provision of the minimum of 2 measuring sensors that measure the PM10 with mid-hourly values. The results of the measurements will be sent to the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and compared with the results of the measurement station located there. The comparative action will be summarized with a report. The report will be published and widely accessible to municipalities and residents.

We are pleased to invite the entities offering the PM10 measurement equipment to participate in the planned action. Please kindly e-mail us to: [email protected]. The rules of participation and details of the event will be presented to the interested parties in the near future.

The Malopolska Region Management Board adopted a draft anti-smog resolution for the Malopolska Region. This is a document which, from mid-next-year, is to introduce a complete ban on the burning of coal muds and floatation concentrates in furnaces and fireplaces throughout the region and eliminating the installation of boilers that do not meet ecodesign standards.

The most important assumptions of the anti-smog resolution for the Malopolska Region is the limitation of the creation of new low emission sources and the ban on the installation of the so-called “smokers”, boilers that do not meet any emission standards. The resolution also intends to introduce a ban on using coal muds and floatation concentrates and wet wood (with a moisture content of over 20%) from July 2017. At the moment, 800 000 tons of coal muds, coal waste – mainly in the Malopolska and Silesian Regions – are for sales. As a result, more than 98% of the inhabitants of the region breathe the air exceeding the permissible levels of carcinogenic benzo (a) pyrene up to 10 times, and over 4 000 people die each year from diseases caused by the polluted air. The cost of treatment for patients with air pollution and their absence from work is estimated at PLN 3 billion per year.

Residents will have time by the end of 2022 to comply with the provisions of the existing heating system and if the boiler meets the emission requirements of at least at the level of class 3, this period will be extended by the end of 2026.

The content of the draft resolution is available at www.powietrze.malopolska.pl/antysmogowa. Comments and proposals for the draft document can be addressed by January 5, 2017, using the e-mail: [email protected] or in a written form to: the Marshal Office of the Malopolska Region, Environment Department, 56 Racławicka, 30-017 Krakow.

You are invited to participate in the conference “Air beyond borders – anti-smog resolution as a tool to improve air quality” which will take place on 23 November 2016 at the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow. After the conference, from 4:00 pm, a consultative meeting of the draft Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region will start.

Conference program:

12:00 am-12:20 am Welcome of the participants – Wojciech Kozak, Deputy Marshal of the Malopolska Region

12:20 am-12:40 am Actions planned for improvement of air quality in the Malopolska Region – Tomasz Pietrusiak, Deputy Director of the Environment Department, the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region

12:40 am-1:40 pm Strategy for improving air quality in Poland – moderated panel discussion with experts and opinions from the room
Moderator: Mr. Jacek Bańka – Radio Krakow
Participants:
– Wojciech Kozak –Deputy Marshal of the Malopolska Region,
– Marzena Wodzińska – Member of the Board of the Wielkopolska Region,
– Representative of the Ministry of Development,
– Blanka Romanowska – Head of the Department of Planning and Reporting and Environmental Policy, the Marshal’s Office of the Silesian Region,
– Maciej Zathey – Director of the Institute for Territorial Development in Wroclaw,
– Marcin Podgórski – Director of the Department of Waste Management and Integrated and Water Authorities, the Marshal’s Office of the Mazowieckie Region,
– Andrzej Guła – President of the Krakow Smog Alert.

1:40 pm-2:00 pm Coffee break

2:00 pm-3:00 pm Solutions for the improvement of air quality at the municipality level with respect to the anti-smog resolution, moderated discussion panel with experts and opinions from the room
Moderator: Mr. Jacek Bańka – Radio Krakow
Participants:
– Witold Śmiałek – Advisor to the Mayor of Cracow for Air Quality,
– Mateusz Klinowski – Mayor of Wadowice,
– Wiktor Łukaszczyk – Deputy Mayor of the City of Zakopane,
– Marta Wieciech-Kumięga – Director of the Department of Environmental Protection, Municipal Office of Nowy Sącz,
– Marek Kaczanowski – Director of the Department of Environmental Protection, Tarnow City Office.

3:00 pm-3:30 pm Lunch

For organizational reasons, please confirm your participation in the conference by e-mail: [email protected]

Consultations concerning the draft Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region

4:00 pm-4:15 pm an update draft of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region – Aneta Lochno – ATMOTERM SA

4:15 pm-4:25 pm Opinion on the draft updating the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region – Anna Majchrzak – NILU Poland

4:25 pm-5:30 pm Speeches and discussions as part of the consultation of the draft Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region

The testing carried out by the Krakow Smog Alert within the implementation of the integrated LIFE project “Implementation of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region – Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere” indicates that only one fifth of the single-family buildings in the Malopolska Region is heated with sources that do not adversely affect air quality.

Coal and wood are used to heat over 400 000 single-family houses. As many as 60% of houses (300 000 households) have boilers that can burn everything, including poor quality coal or rubbish. What is more, more than 50% of these boilers are old devices – 12 years and over. Devices of this type are called “smokers” just because of the smoke that gets out of them and the huge amount of pollution that they release in use.

Such a state of affairs makes the residential sector the main source of particulate matter and benzo(a)pyrene pollution in our region. Emissions from low chimneys (mainly houses) account for 57% of PM10 emissions in our Region, 69% of PM2.5 emissions and over 90% of benzo(a)pyrene emissions.

27% of the Malopolska Region houses (142 000) do not have any external thermal insulation. In the houses, the heat energy, instead of heating the space, escapes through the non-insulated walls.

Most owners of single-family houses (77%) do not currently think about replacing boilers. This means that without the regulation and financial support programs in the coming years there will be no significant progress in the elimination of smog sources.

Report on the technical condition of single-family houses in the Malopolska Region

By November 30, 2016, there will be a public consultation on the draft resolution of the Sejmik of the Malopolska Region on updating the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region.

The subject of the document are long-term corrective measures, a short-term action plan and details of the issues related to inventory of emission sources, air quality analysis and description of the economic, ecological conditions and local selected directions of corrective measures.

The Program is available on the Public Information Bulletin of the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region in the Project Consultation section and at the address powietrze.malopolska.pl/aktualizacja-pop/

Comments and requests for the draft document can be sent electronically to the following e-mail address: [email protected] or in writing to: the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region, Environment Department, 56 Racławicka, 30-017 Krakow.

The authority competent for the consideration of the comments and motions is the Management Board of the Malopolska Region.

In addition, the public consultation will include an open consultation meeting for all of the interested persons held on 23 November 2016 at 4:00 pm in the seat of the Polish Aviation Museum, 39 Jana Pawła II 39 in Krakow.

The draft of the Program will be submitted to the Sejmik of the Malopolska Region by the end of January 2017.

It was a great day for the Malopolska Region during the European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels. On October 12, Mr. Tomasz Pietrusiak – Deputy Director of the Environment Department of the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region was pleased to present the LIFE Project “Implementation of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region – Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere”. This is the best integrated project of all of the 39 from across the EU which were submitted in the competition in 2015. Mr. Tomasz was invited by the European Commission, we are glad that other countries can benefit from the experience of the Malopolska Region!

Pictures from the event

The development of the update of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region includes an analysis of the variants of the introduction of the anti-smog resolution for the Malopolska Region. It is a priority to stop the increasing number of new low emission sources. Currently, despite the replacement of approx. 4 000 coal boilers annually, at the same time, approx. 12 000 new sources that do not have to meet any emission standards are installed. The anti-smog resolution for the Malopolska Region can introduce an obligation for the new sources – already after the adoption of the resolution in 2017 to meet the requirements of class 5. At the same time, the burning of coal muds and floatation concentrates will be eliminated, and only dry, seasoned wood will be required for the wood to ensure cleaner and more efficient combustion. The regulation can also set the target year 2023 by which all non-class boilers should be replaced with Class 5 boilers. This solution will enable local resources of Polish coal and the wood to be utilized in modern and high-efficiency heating systems, thus enabling the Malopolska Region’s air quality standards meeting the standard requirements.

The estimated total costs of the implementation of the obligation to use Class 5 boilers by 2023 is approx. PLN 4.8 billion, financed in part by external sources. However, the reduction of pollutant emissions as a result of the implementation of the anti-smog resolution in the variant of Class 5 boilers will enable achieving target savings of health costs estimated at PLN 2.8 billion per year.

The preparation of the update of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region included an analysis of the effects of various options for low emission reduction measures. They clearly demonstrated that both the continuation of the current activities without regulating boiler emissions at the level of the Region as well as the regulations which introduce milder requirements of Class 3 or 4 bring no sufficient effects in the form of compliance with air quality standards. While it would be possible to meet the average annual standards for PM10, the achievement of the PM2.5 standards in force since 2020 and the achievement of the target level of benzo (a) pyrene on a significant area requires the use of modern solid fuel boilers of at least Class 5. Even in this variant, reaching the target levels of benzo (a) pyrene on sensitive areas will require additional measures – twin actions to reduce low emissions in the Silesian Region in order to reduce the inflow of pollutants to the western Malopolska Region and the preferences (e.g. under co-financing schemes) for the development of district heating networks and clean sources of heat in major cities of the Malopolska Region, e.g. Nowy Sącz, Nowy Targ, Bochnia, Wadowice, Miechów.

With the start of the Malopolska Region’s requirements for grants provided only for the modern Class 5 boilers, the boiler manufacturers have made significant progress in the last 2 years in the construction of modern devices. At present, more than 30 boiler models of at least fifteen different manufacturers meet the requirements of the highest emission class and new models undergo accredited testing every month. A list of low-emission heating devices is provided on the website www.powietrze.malopolska.pl/kotly

Adopting the anti-smog resolution for the Malopolska Region, introducing the requirement of the use of Class 5 boilers is an opportunity for the development of Polish companies producing modern and high-efficiency heating devices using local resources of coal and wood. Since 2020, the EU regulations will ban the sale of boilers that do not meet the so-called Ecodesign requirements, i.e. pollutant emissions corresponding to Class 5. The Ministry of Development is planning to limit the sales of boilers below Class 5 from 2018. The introduction of an anti-smog resolution in the Malopolska Region will enable avoiding the increased distribution of non-standard heating appliances before the date of entry of the EU and national regulations. Thanks to this, the Malopolska Region will not become an outlet for non-class heating devices, which would result in the maintenance of high emissions for subsequent years of operation.

Analysis of the variants of the anti-smog resolution for the Malopolska Region

The Provincial Administrative Court in Krakow dismissed the filed complaints against the resolution of the Sejmik of the Malopolska Region of 15 January 2016 on the introduction of restrictions on the operation of fuel combustion installations in the municipality of Krakow. The Court in Cracow confirmed that the resolution was adopted lawfully while maintaining the required elements and procedure.

Adoption by the Sejmik of the Malopolska Region of the anti-smog resolution for Krakow introducing the total ban on the use of solid fuels in boilers, stoves and fireplaces starting from 1 September 2019 is the answer to the demands of the Krakow residents for radical measures to improve air quality. The voices of the residents were backed up by the Mayor of the City of Krakow and unanimously supported by the Krakow City Council being in favor of the prepared solution. In the public consultation, 4 600 people (96.5% of those taking part in the consultations) explicitly supported the adoption of a total ban on the use of solid fuels in Krakow.

The Management Board of the Malopolska Region consistently strived to adopt a solution for Krakow that would be adequate to the scale of air pollution levels and the topographical and meteorological conditions characteristic to that city, which would have a greater effect on the accumulation of pollutants. Despite the unfavorable judgments of the Court and the NSA against the previous resolution of 2013, the anti-smog resolution of 2015 inspired by the Malopolska Region and conducted by Tadeusz Arkita enabled the preparation and adoption of a resolution aimed at improving air quality in Krakow.

The anti-smog resolution for Krakow has proved successful after the first few years, as it translates into a significant amount of liquidated coal furnaces. In this respect Krakow is the leader – over 10 thousand boilers liquidated in the last 3 years in the Malopolska Region, as many as 7 800 in Krakow itself. This means a reduction in PM10 emissions by about 277 tons and PM2.5 by about 275 tons and carcinogenic (a) pyrene by 159 kg. In Krakow, there are still approx. 15 000 coal furnaces to be liquidated in Krakow.

The adoption of the anti-smog resolution for Krakow was necessary in order to improve air quality in the shortest possible time. The actions undertaken so far to subsidize the replacement of ovens and coal-fired boilers, despite the involvement of large public funds, were ineffective as they did not limit the emergence of new sources of emissions. The adoption of the resolution for Krakow has also inspired other regions of Poland to take a serious interest in air quality and take steps to reduce pollution levels.

On Saturday, September 24, 2016, the Malopolska Days of Health Prevention started on the Main Market Square in Krakow. Participants of the event at the anti-smog stand of the Environment Department of the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region were able to take advantage of free spirometry (examining lung capacity) in at a specialist mobile point.

During the event, a total of about 60 free examinations were performed. Participants of the meeting could also learn more about the impact of air quality on health, as well as information on the possibilities of financing the replacement of heating systems with the green. The youngest participants of the event took part in a competition on air quality and waste prevention in which the prize was an ecological bag made of waste banners of the Malopolska Region and a booklet “Attention! Alert! Smogdragon!” issued by the Krakow Smog Alert.

The first meeting presenting the assumptions of the update of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region took place in Krakow (14.09) for municipalities from the Krakow Metropolitan Area and in Tarnów (15.09) for the municipalities of the Subregion of Tarnów. Representatives of municipal authorities, organizations, enterprises and residents learned about the current air quality in the Malopolska Region, the planned major corrective actions and how they will be implemented. The main responsibilities concerning the implementation of the measures aimed at reducing air emissions rest with local authorities. During the discussion, the participants presented their suggestions and postulates on the implementation of the Program and stressed the importance of citizens’ awareness of the impact of air pollution on their own health.

Comments and postulates regarding the update of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region can be sent by 30 September to [email protected].

Other meetings will be held in Krakow (19.09), Nowy Sącz (20.09), Chrzanów (21.09) and Nowy Targ (22.09).

Presentation of the assumptions of the Air Quality Plan KOM 14/09/2016

Presentation of the assumptions of the Tarnów Air Quality Plan 15/09/2016

The Krakow Smog Alert executes a call for educational projects in the field of the Air Quality Plan within the implementation of the LIFE project “Implementation of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region – Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere”.

Non-governmental organizations or informal groups working in partnership with non-governmental organizations can receive a grant of PLN 3 000 to PLN 15 000 for activities aimed at raising the awareness of local communities in the field of clean air in the Malopolska or Silesian Regions. No own financial contribution is required.

The deadline for submission of applications is 3 October 2016 at 15:00 pm. Applications must be completed on the forms available at www.krakowskialarmsmogowy.pl/naszepowietrze.

The purpose of this program is:

1. Raising the awareness among members of local communities in the Malopolska and / or Silesian Regions with respect to air pollution and measures aimed at improving air quality, with particular emphasis on low emissions;
2. Raising the level of involvement of local communities in the Malopolska and / or Silesian Regions in actions aimed at improving air quality, with particular emphasis on low emissions;
3. Development of social movements and initiatives aimed at improving air quality in the Malopolska and / or Silesian Regions.

Program Description

Regulations and application form

The Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region invites representatives of interested municipalities, residents and organizations to participate in consultations during which they will present the assumptions of the prepared update of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region.

All of the interested parties are invited to participate actively in the development of the air quality improvement strategy in the Malopolska Region through participation in the meetings.

Consultation meetings will be organized according to the following schedule:

• September 14 at 10:00 am

Location: Krakow, 6 Św. Filipa, aula of the Railway Society of Culture,

Meeting for the municipalities of the Krakow Metropolitan Area (the counties of Miechów, Proszowice, Bochnia, Myślenice, Wieliczka, Krakow – except for the Krakow Metropolis).

• September 15 at 10:00 am

Location: Tarnów, 38 Narutowicza, room 11 (ground floor) in the County Office,

Meeting for the municipalities of the Tarnów Subregion (Tarnów Town, the counties of Tarnów, Dąbrowa, Brzesko).

• September 19 at 11:00 am

Location: Krakow, 6 Św. Filipa, aula of the Railway Society of Culture,

Meeting for the municipalities of the Krakow Metropolis (the City of Krakow, Biskupice, Czernichów, Igołomia-Wawrzeńczyce, Kocmyrzów-Luborzyca, Liszki, Michałowice, Mogilany, Niepołomice, Skawina, Świątniki Górne, Wieliczka, Wielka Wieś, Zabierzów, Zielonki).

• September 20 at 10:00 am

Location: Nowy Sącz, 33 Jagiellońska, session hall in the County Office,

Meeting for the municipalities of the Sącz Subregion (the city of Nowy Sącz, Nowy Sącz, Gorlice, Limanowa counties).

• September 21 at 10:00 am

Location: Chrzanów, 3 Focha, audiovisual room of the District Center for Continuing Education,

Meeting for the municipalities of the Western Subregion of the Malopolska Region (Chrzanów, Olkusz, Oświęcim, Wadowice counties).

• September 22 at 9:00 am

Location: Nowy Targ, 2 Jana III Sobieskiego, conference room of the Euroregion Association “Tatra”.

Meeting for the municipalities of the Podhale Subregion (Tatra, Nowy Targ, Sucha Beskidzka counties).

The Voivodship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Krakow announced the call for applications under the JAWOR Priority Program Improvement of energy efficiency – thermo-modernization of detached houses. The purpose of the Program is to reduce the demand for heat as a result of heating building partitions. The tasks covered are: insulation of exterior walls of buildings, roof insulation, insulation of ceilings over the last storey, insulation of basement ceilings, replacement of windows, exterior doors. It is required to reduce the demand for heat by at least 25%.

The program is addressed to individuals. They can get a preferential loan of up to 90% of the building insulation cost, with an interest rate of 2% per annum and will being subject to a remission of up to 20%. The minimum loan amount is PLN 20 000 and the maximum amounts to PLN 100 000.

Detailed regulations of the JAWOR program

Recent public opinion polls show that Malopolska people negatively perceive air quality in their region. The greatest awareness of the problem of air pollution occurs in Krakow, as many as 81% of respondents think that air quality is very bad or rather bad. Despite the fact that in villages and smaller towns the overall quality of air quality is better, as much as 63% of Malopolska people are convinced that air is more polluted during the heating season and assesses its quality in those months as very bad or rather bad. A similar percentage (69%) believes that air quality may, in the future, negatively influence their health of the health of their relatives.

Malopolska people show very high support for anti-smog regulations. Almost 90% of the region’s population supports the introduction of the obligation to replace the most polluting boilers, with the government subsidizing the costs of such replacements. Equally high is the percentage of the respondents supporting the introduction of coal quality standards or tougher penalties for waste incineration. There is also high support for limiting traffic in larger cities and forbidding the entry of cars with old diesel engines to the centers of large cities – in Krakow it was 63% and 70%.

The research also reveals a big problem with access to information on the current air quality in places outside Krakow. As many as 61% feel ill-informed in this regard. On the other hand, about three-quarters of Malopolska Region’s population expect easier access to this type of information. Preferably, Malopolska people would like information about air quality to reach them via the Internet, electronic signboards in urban spaces, municipal offices, television, radio and the press.

The research was conducted in August 2016 on a representative sample of 1000 inhabitants of the region. The research was carried out by the CEM Institute for Market Research and Public Opinion, commissioned by the Krakow Smog Alert Association, as part of the integrated project “Implementation of the Air Quality Plan in the Malopolska Region – Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere”, co-funded under the European Union LIFE Program.

Report on the assessment of the awareness of the inhabitants of Malopolska

On 25-26 August this year, a meeting of the Working Group on the Air Quality Plan and Energy was held in Krakow, a great opportunity to present the actions undertaken in the Malopolska Region in terms of improving air quality and exchanging experiences with other regions in Poland.

During the visit, the actions taken by the Malopolska Region and the Malopolska municipalities in implementing the current Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region were presented. Representatives of the Voivodship Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Krakow presented the conclusions of their monitoring carried out in municipalities regarding the implementation of remedial measures.  The Office of the City of Krakow, along with the Municipal Social Welfare Center in Krakow presented the available aid programs for replacing heating appliances and subsidies for the residents who incur increased heating costs. The pro-environmental actions of EDF Polska SA Krakow Branch and Protech Sp. z o. o. in Zator were presented. During the meeting, the impact of the automotive industry on air quality was also discussed.

During the discussions, representatives of offices and boiler producers discussed the lack of adequate legislation and actions at the national level. Attention was paid to the need for defining regulations for the quality parameters of solid fuels released for sale in Poland, for the technical parameters and emission of pollutants for solid fuel boilers. What is more, the participants discussed the social awareness of air pollution and the need for further education of the public.

The Working Group on the Air Quality Plan and Energy works at the General Directorate for Environmental Protection within the network of environmental authorities “Partnership: Environment for Development”. Its members include representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, the Marshal’s Offices, the General Directorate for Environmental Protection, the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection, experts on the subject of air quality.

Below, there are the presentations presented at the meeting:

 Presentation of EDF Polska SA Krakow Branch

Pro-environmental actions implemented by EDF Polska SA Krakow Branch

Implementation of the cooperation agreement on sustainable development by EDF Polska SA Krakow Branch

Practical use of art. 96 of the Environmental Law

Financial support of the City of Krakow for the replacement of heating devices

Financial support of the Municipal Social Welfare Center in Krakow resulting from increased heating costs of the premises

Presentation of Protech Sp. z o. o.

Activities of Protech Sp. z o. o.

Experiences of the Malopolska Region in the implementation of the Air Quality Plan

Integrated project LIFE “Implementation of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region – Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere”

Voivodship Inspectorate for Environmental Protection Krakow – cooperation with municipalities and control of the implementation of the provisions of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region

Implementing the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region, as exemplified by the Municipality of Wadowice

The impact of motorization on air quality

Activities undertaken by the City of Krakow to reduce transport emissions

The requests of residents, non-governmental organizations and municipal authorities that should be included in the work of updating the Air Quality Plan have been collected. During the period from June 22 to July 29, requests were received from a total of 52 institutions, including 35 from municipalities, 13 from organizations and 4 from private individuals.

The comments largely concerned the necessity for designating the need for preparing and adopting an anti-smog resolution setting out the emission parameters for low-power boilers in the Malopolska Region in the Air Quality Plan. There have been comments on the lack of effective legal instruments that would allow residents to replace low-effective heating systems and those pointing out the lack of financial resources to undertake the replacements. The comments also concerned the phenomenon of illegal waste incineration in domestic heating systems, which is still widely observed throughout the region. This is due to insufficient control or lack of it in some municipalities, which results from the lack of knowledge concerning regulations or staffing difficulties.

Some of the municipalities for which no old boiler replacement was required in the previous Program of 2013 have requested to be included in the updated document and declared actions on low-emission abatement. On the other hand, some of the municipalities for which the current Program has set targets for reducing air emissions have requested a reduction in the scale of the assigned duties.

On September 12-22, there will be consultative meetings in the various regions of the region to present the assumptions of the new Program. Work on the preparation of the draft of the updated Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region will last until October this year. In November, official public consultation and the process of evaluating the document by the municipalities and counties will be held. The presentation of the resolution to the Sejmik of the Malopolska Region is scheduled for January 2017.

Summary of requests for updating the Air Quality Plan

The Malopolska Region has taken on providing a clear and transparent list of low-emission boilers and room heaters (e.g. fireplaces, stoves) that use solid fuels – coal or biomass. The list can include any device that has a laboratory test accredited for Class 5 compliance according to PN-EN 303-5:2012 standard or compliance with the requirements of the EU Commission Regulation 2015/1189 of 28 April 2015 (in the case of boilers) or the EU Commission Regulation 2015/1185 of 24 April 2015 (in the case of room heaters).

Additional conditions that must be met by the devices that will be included in the list:

• boilers, with the exception of gasifying boilers, must be fitted with an automatic fuel feeder,
• boilers must not have an emergency grate or components enabling mounting it,
• heating appliances operating with an electrostatic precipitator must not have the technical capacity to operate when the electrostatic precipitator is off.

Those submitting heating devices to the list should send their e-mails to [email protected] with the following:

1. a scanned completed and signed application for listing,
2. an electronic version or scan of the technical documentation and instructions for installers and users of the heating device,
3. a scan of the signed document issued by a relevant accredited body, including a report on pollutant emissions and thermal performance or seasonal energy efficiency,
4. one photo or a graphic depicting the heating device (jpg or png, 1200 × 1200 pixels)

Verification of the applications for registration will be conducted by employees of the Environmental Department of the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region or outsourced experts.

The list is intended to serve the inhabitants and employees of municipalities in the correct choice of solid fuel heating appliances that meet the requirements of the co-financing programs and guarantee a significant reduction of harmful emissions into the air.

The regulations will be in force from September 1, 2016 and will replace the list of coal and biomass boilers that has been provided so far on the website powietrze.malopolska.pl/kotly.

Regulations for keeping the list of low-emission heating devices – effective from 01.09.2016

Application for entry into the list of low-emission heating devices

The Ministry of the Environment has developed the Code of for the Prevention of Odor Nuisance which aims to reduce the growing odor problem, taking into account the existing social and economic situation and the shortcomings in the existing legal regulations. This is a set of environmentally-friendly practices that can help reduce or eliminate the odor nuisance at different stages of the investment, reduce negative impacts on people and the environment, and improve the quality of life.

The Code was created for the needs of central administration, regional and local self-governments, and entrepreneurs. It includes, among other things, such methods of preventing and reducing odors as: the location of installations away from residential buildings, the use of such technical barriers as tree planting, review of the raw materials and materials used in the production process, and the use of the best available BAT techniques. The techniques of reducing and limiting emissions of odors are also important, such methods as filtration techniques, combustion, deodorization can be used.

The main sources of odor-active substances are broken down into sectors: waste management, water and sewage management, agriculture and food processing, where ways to prevent odor nuisance are outlined. The proper location, installation and site layout, compliance with the operating procedures, encapsulation, odor masking are just some of the proposed measures.

The draft Code for the prevention of odor nuisance on the website of the Ministry of the Environment

A total of 101 projects related to low emission reduction through the use of modern boilers for coal (sub-measure 4.4.3) were filed within the Regional Operational Program for the Malopolska Region from 24 June to 25 July 2016. The activities concern municipalities in 5 subregions: the Krakow Metropolitan Area, the Tarnów Subregion, the Sącz Subregion, the Podhale Region and the Western Malopolska Region. The total cost of heating replacement from all projects is over PLN 190 million, of which the requested EU subsidy is about PLN 147 million.

On the other hand, in the case of the measures involving the replacement of heat sources in individual households with modern boilers using biomass, gas and other fuels and the development of district heating networks (sub-measure 4.4.2), the total of 97 project charters were filed for municipalities in 5 subregions. The total cost of the actions is over PLN 222 million, of which PLN 162 million is the amount of the requested grant.

Call for project charters for measure 4.4.2

Call for project charters for measure 4.4.3

In just a few months, from April 1, 2017, suppliers of solid fuel boilers will be obliged to ensure that they are labeled with energy efficiency labels. The labels will also apply to sets for solid fuel boilers, additional heaters, temperature regulators and solar devices. Energy classes will be assigned as based on the energy efficiency rating (EEI) of the boiler or set from the worst-case G (EEI below 30) to the best A+++ class (EEI of at least 150).

On the other hand, from 1 January 2020, solid fuel boilers placed on the market and in use will have to meet the energy efficiency and pollutant requirements for seasonal heating provided by the provisions of the Commission Implementing Regulation of Directive 2009/125/EC of 21 October 2009 laying down general principles for the definition of ecodesign requirements. From January 1, 2022 similar requirements will also apply to local room heaters (fireplaces, ovens, stoves).

The regulatory impact assessment prepared by the European Commission indicated that the implementation of the new requirements for solid fuel boilers will result in savings of 17-22 PJ (20 petajou = 1 J * 10¹⁵) in the European Union in 2040 and a reduction in particulate matter emissions of 59-78 % while boosting job growth in this sector. In the case of local room heaters, the energy savings will be in the range of 207-313 PJ in 2030 and the reduction of particulate matter emissions will be by 36-42%.

Already today, a solid fuel-fired boiler with a fuel feeding mechanism is a “machine” within the meaning of the Machinery Directive 89/392/EEC and is subject to compliance with the essential requirements set out in the Directive. It must be tested by an independent research unit that is accredited for boiler testing in accordance with PN EN 303-5:2012.

Legal opinion on ecodesign requirements for solid fuel boilers

On the site powietrze.malopolska.pl/kotly, there is a list of the boilers that meet Class 5 requirements according to PN-EN 303-5:2012 or ecodesign requirements confirmed by tests conducted by an accredited laboratory. The list is intended to serve the inhabitants in the choice of the most environmentally-friendly solid fuel boilers and municipal authorities to identify equipment that can be funded through the available national and EU programs. Currently, the preparation of the target list regulations is underway to unify the presented information and to more accurately indicate the fulfilled requirements.