June 2017 - LIFE Małopolska

As of July 1, 2017, the provisions of the anti-smog resolution for the Malopolska Region enter into force, and the ban on the burning of coal and coal fossils and biomass with a moisture content greater than 20% will begin, while all of the newly installed boilers, ovens and fireplaces should meet ecodesign requirements for emissions and energy efficiency. Monitoring compliance with the requirements of the resolution belongs to the tasks of the municipalities, that should be carried out by municipal police and municipal guards or the employees of municipal offices.

In order to prepare the municipality to the control and enforcement of the requirements of the resolution, on 13 and 14 June 2017, the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region organized a training for the employees of all of the municipalities in the Malopolska Region and representatives of the municipal police and municipal guards. The training included technical issues related to the design and requirements of boilers and room heaters, ways of identifying mules and fleets, sampling of fuel, and legal issues related to the preparation of inspection authorizations and the procedure for carrying it out. The lectures were conducted by specialists from the Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal in Zabrze, Oil and Gas Institute in Krakow and a legal advisor from the Frank Bold Foundation. The experience of conducting individual household inspections was also shared by representatives of the City Guards of the City of Krakow. On the other hand, the Voivodship Inspector for Environmental Protection in Krakow has provided information on the monitoring of compliance by municipalities with the obligations resulting from the Air Quality Plan.

Topics of the training

Requirements of the anti-smog resolution for the Malopolska Region – Tomasz Pietrusiak, Deputy Director of the Environment Department at the Marshal’s Office of the Malopolska Region.
Inspections of the municipalities implementing the Air Quality Plan – Ryszard Listwan, Deputy of the Malopolska Voivodship Inspector for Environmental Protection.
Overview of the types of installations for which restrictions were introduced – Katarzyna Matuszek, Head of the Laboratory of Combustion Technology and Power Engineering at the Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal in Zabrze,
- presentation of differences between automatic and manual boilers,
- presentation of automatic boilers (various types, e.g. with screw, drawer feeders),
- presentation of the difference between boilers meeting the requirements of EN 303-5:2012 and ecodesign,
- types and verification (reading, interpretation) of documents confirming that the heating devices used meet the requirements of EN 303-5:2012 or ecodesign,
- presentation of the ways of illegal construction of boilers, assembly of additional elements in boilers,
- indication of the possibility of recognizing whether boilers have an emergency grate,
- presentation of examples of abnormal operation of boilers, indication of bad habits, practices in this regard,
- discussing the issue of the obligation to undertake chimney sweeps and the negative effects of the lack of chimney sweeping.
Overview of the type of fuels for which prohibition was applied – Łukasz Smędowski, head of the Laboratory of Fuel and Activated Carbon at the Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal in Zabrze,
- presentation of an organoleptic method of the identification of mules and fleets – presentation of samples,
- presentation of the coal grain testing procedure – indication of guidelines on how to take a sample, where to send a sample for testing,
- presentation of the documents required for the sale of carbon, documents confirming the fuel parameters (quality certificates, confirmation of the parameters on invoices),
- review the carbon certificates along with the way of reading the information contained therein.
Overview of the scope covering the use of fireplaces – Robert Wojtowicz, head of the Laboratory of Gas and Heating Equipment Research in the Oil and Gas Institute – State Research Institute in Krakow,
- overview of open and closed fireplaces, free standing heaters, types and differences between them,
- presentation of ecodesign requirements for fireplaces,
- types and verification of the documents confirming that the fireplace used complies with ecodesign requirements, reading and interpretation of documents,
- wood moisture testing and measurement presentation with a moisture meter.
Practical aspect of conducting inspections – Andrzej Ryś, head of the Department of Waste Control, City Guards of the City of Krakow.
Legal aspect of conducting inspections – Miłosz Jakubowski, a legal advisor at the Frank Bold Foundation,
- practical presentation of the procedure and experience of conducting fuel combustion control, as exemplified by the city of Cracow,
- presentation of the scope of inspections,
- issuing authorizations for inspections,
- possibility of sampling ash for analysis,
- drawing up an inspection report,
- addressing applications for punishment to the court,
- amounts of financial penalties.