Abstract
Environmental impacts by both man-made interventions and accidental events are taking on considerable importance; and developing the capacity to minimize these impacts and their harmful consequences for ecosystems and human health is a daunting task for environmental legislators and regulators.
A major challenge in impact and risk assessment, as part of safety and integrated environmental management, is to link harmful effects of pollution (including toxic chemicals) to natural resources (soil, underground water, etc..) and to human health. Complex issues are involved in evaluating both environmental risk, for the effects on the ecosystems, and accidental risk, derivative for use of complex mixtures potentially dangerous in productive industrial processes. Therefore, risk assessment and management must include tools based on externally generated risk contours and links to optimal management models of industrial plants by application of Best Available Techniques (BAT). In particular, to reduction models of, accidental and continuous, atmospheric releases and of spills into surface water systems. By the adoption, before of the Directive 82/501/CE (EC, 1982), then of the Directive 96/82/EC (EC, 1996), called Directive “Seveso II”, were obtained two aims. The first is prevention of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances. The second is limitation of accidental consequences for man and for environment by introduction of concept of "Domino Effect". This directive has been implemented in Italy by the Legislative Decree no.334 of 17 August 1999 (IG, 1999), hereinafter “L.D. no. 334/99” or “Decree”, then revised by the Legislative Decree no. 238 of 21 September 2005, “L.D. no. 238/05” (IG, 2005). Indeed, article no. 25 of Decree establishes that Regions carry out audits on safety management system (SMS) of industrial plants, classified as article no. 6 of L.D. no. 334/99, and the Environment Ministry carry out checks on plants classified as article no. 8, pending the full transfer of responsibilities from State to Regions in accordance by article no. 72 of Legislative Decree no. 112 of 31 March 1998, “L.D. no. 112/98” (IP, 1998) (Activities in Major Accident Risk). Therefore, preliminary investigation, control and planning aimed at ensuring ecosystems and human health security derived to use of hazardous substances, is a task for regional legislators. The Apulia has covered these issues by adopting of Regional Law no. 06 of 2008, “L. no. 06/08” (RC, 2008), as a prerequisite for proceeding to Agreement State-Region. On 21 December 2010, the European Commission has emanated the latest proposal for repeal and replace of current Directive to adopt by 1 June 2015. Therefore, European and national regulatory framework about accidental risks is defined and mature. In Italy, the control activities are carried out in line as in other EU countries.
This work presents the theoretical background of in force regulation, the concrete goals and most relevant findings got by operative experience derived of SMS analysis of industrial plants and necessary future developments.
