The steel industry recognizes the importance of the issues surrounding emissions to air and their impact on ambient air quality, human health and the environment. For decades, the steel industry has taken measures to address these issues, thereby significantly and demonstrably reducing emissions per tonne of steel. Steel, whether produced via the integrated, direct reduced iron or electric arc furnace route, requires the transport, storage, handling, heating and transformation of raw materials. All these processes have the potential to generate emissions to air, primarily in the form of dust (or particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides. Other emissions generated in small quantities include dioxins and heavy metals, typically attached to dust particles. Today, all steel plants are subject to environmental regulation, which set requirements to restrict emissions to air. This regulatory framework is translated into an environmental permit (or licence to operate), which establishes plant-specific Emission Limit Values covering the primary emissions to air, dust, SO2, and NOx, and in most cases other emissions.
The environmental permit also sets monitoring requirements and it is common for steel plants to have additional requirements within the permit, such as maximum production capacity, emission ceilings for specific emissions, taxes or fees on emissions or specific reduction targets.
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