New rules for calculating background concentrations
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine has updated its approaches to determining background concentrations of pollutants in atmospheric air. These changes are critically important for all enterprises whose activities involve emissions, as they directly affect the permit acquisition process.
Background concentration is the amount of a pollutant already present in the atmospheric air without considering the activities of a specific enterprise. It is determined at control points outside the sanitary protection zone (SPZ) and is used in emission regulation.
What document introduced the changes?
The changes were introduced by Order of the Ministry of Environment dated 31.03.2025 No. 638, which amends paragraph 4.8 of the "Procedure for determining the values of background concentrations of pollutants in atmospheric air", approved back in 2001 by Order No. 286.
What is the essence of the update?
The key change concerns situations where air quality monitoring data is unavailable, and the calculation method cannot be applied. Previously, such cases led to legal uncertainty. Now, a clear algorithm has been established: for specific pollutants, enterprises are allowed to independently calculate the background concentration. It is important to note that the priority remains the use of official data obtained from observations by hydrometeorological organizations of the State Emergency Service, as they reflect the actual state of pollution. The new method is an auxiliary tool.