The Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991

CHAPTER 2: METAL PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Section 2.1 Iron and steel

PART A

(a)

Loading, unloading or otherwise handling or storing iron ore except in the course of mining operations.

(b)

Loading, unloading or otherwise handling or storing burnt pyrites.

(c)

Crushing, grading, grinding, screening, washing or drying iron ore or any mixture of iron ore and other materials.

(d)

Blending or mechanically mixing grades of iron ore or iron ore with other materials.

(e)

Pelletising, calcining or sintering iron ore (except as part of a smelting process).

(f)

Making, melting or refining iron, steel or any ferro-alloy in any furnace other than a furnace described in Part B of this Section.

(g)

Any process for the refining or making of iron, steel or any ferro-alloy in which air or oxygen or both are used unless related to a process described in Part B of this Section.

(h)

The desulphurisation of iron, steel or any ferro-alloy made by a process described in this Part of this Section.

(i)

Heating iron, steel or any ferro-alloy (whether in a furnace or other appliance) to remove grease, oil or any other non-metallic contaminant (including such operations as the removal by heat of plastic or rubber covering from scrap cable), if related to another process described in this Part of this Section.

(j)

Any foundry process (including ancillary foundry operations such as the manufacture and recovery of moulds, the reclamation of sand, fettling, grinding and shot-blasting) if related to another process described in this Part of this Section.

(k)

Any process otherwise falling within a description in Part B of this Section, if the process involves the use of a furnace with a designed melting capacity of 25 tonnes or more per hour and the carrying on of the process by the person concerned at the location in question is likely to produce 4000 tonnes or more of special waste in any 12 month period.

(l)

Handling slag in conjunction with a process described in paragraph (f) or (g).

Nothing in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Part of this Section applies to the handling or storing of other minerals in association with the handling or storing of iron ore or burnt pyrites.

PART B

(a)

Making, melting or refining iron, steel or any ferro-alloy in—

(i)

an electric arc furnace with a designed holding capacity of less than 7 tonnes; or

(ii)

a cupola, rotary furnace, induction furnace or resistance furnace.

(b)

Refining iron or making iron, steel or any ferro-alloy where air or oxygen or both are used, if related to another process described in paragraph (a) above.

(c)

The desulphurisation of iron, steel or any ferro-alloy, if the process does not fall within paragraph (h) of Part A of this Section.

(d)

Any such process as is described in paragraph (i) of Part A above, if not falling within that paragraph.

(e)

Any foundry process (including ancillary foundry operations such as the manufacture and recovery of moulds, the reclamation of sand, fettling, grinding and shot-blasting) if related to another process described in this Part of this Section.

Any description of a process in this Section includes, where the process produces slag, the crushing, screening or grading or other treatment of the slag if that process is related to the process in question.

Section 2.2 Non-ferrous metals

PART A

(a)

The extraction or recovery from any material—

(i)

by chemical means or the use of heat of any non-ferrous metal or alloy of non-ferrous metal or any compound of a non-ferrous metal; or

(ii)

by electrolytic means, of aluminium,

if the process may result in the release into the air of particulate matter or any metal, metalloid or any metal or metalloid compound or in the release into water of a substance described in Schedule 5 or does not fall within paragraph (b) of Part B of this Section.

In this paragraph “material” includes ores, scrap and other waste.

(b)

The mining of zinc or tin where the process may result in the release into water of cadmium or any compound of cadmium.

(c)

The refining of any non-ferrous metal or non-ferrous metal alloy except where the process is related to a process falling within a description in paragraphs (a), (c) or (d) of Part B of this Section.

(d)

Any process other than a process described in paragraphs (b), (c) or (d) of Part B of this Section for making or melting any non-ferrous metal or non-ferrous metal alloy in a furnace, bath or other holding vessel if the furnace, bath or vessel employed has a designed holding capacity of 5 tonnes or more.

(e)

Any process for producing, melting or recovering by chemical means or by the use of heat any of the elements listed below or any alloy whatsoever, if the percentage by weight of any of those elements which the alloy, in molten form, contains exceeds the relevant percentage specified below, and the process may result in the release into the air of particulate matter or smoke which contains any of those clements—

antimony	1 %
arsenic	1%
beryllium	0.1 %
chromium	2%
lead when alloyed with copper	23%
lead when alloyed with any metal other than copper	2%
magnesium	10%
manganese, when alloyed with copper	15%
manganese when alloyed with any metal other than copper	4%
phosphorus	1%
platinum	1%
selenium	0.5%

(f)

Any process for producing, melting or recovering (whether by chemical means or by electrolysis or by the use of heat) cadmium or mercury or any alloy containing more than 0.05 per cent by weight of either of those metals or of both those metals in aggregate.

(g)

Any manufacturing or repairing process involving the use of beryllium or selenium or an alloy of one or both of those metals if the process may occasion the release into the air of any substance described in Schedule 4.

(h)

The heating in a furnace or other appliance of any non-ferrous metal or non-ferrous metal alloy for the purpose of removing grease, oil or any other non-metallic contaminant (including such operations as the removal by heat of plastic or rubber covering from cable), if related to another process described in this Part of this Section.

(i)

Any foundry process (including ancillary foundry operations such as the manufacture and recovery of moulds, the reclamation of sand, fettling, grinding and shot-blasting) if related to another process described in this Part of this Section.

(j)

Any process otherwise falling within a description in paragraph (a), (b), (d), (e) or (f) of Part B of this Section if the carrying on the process by the person concerned at the location in question is likely to produce 1000 tonnes or more of special waste in any 12 month period.

PART B

(a)

The making or melting of any non-ferrous metal or non-ferrous metal alloy in any furnace, bath or other holding vessel with a designed holding capacity of less than 5 tonnes (together with any incidental refining).

(b)

he extraction or recovery of copper, aluminium or zinc from mixed scrap by the use of heat.

(c)

Melting zinc or a zinc alloy in conjunction with a galvanising process.

(d)

Melting zinc or aluminium or an alloy of one or both of these metals in conjunction with a die-casting process.

(e)

Any such process as is described in paragraph (h) of Part A above, if not related to another process described in that Part.

(f)

Any foundry process (including ancillary foundry operations such as the manufacture and recovery of moulds, the reclamation of sand, fettling, grinding and shot-blasting) if related to another process described in this Part of this Section.

Section 2.3 Smelting processes

PART A

Smelting or calcining sulphides or sulphide ores, including regulus or mattes.

PART B Nil