Kyiv Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers

KEY POINTS

Aarhus Convention

The protocol is attached to the Aarhus Convention (see summary). The convention and its protocol give members of the public (individuals and associations that represent them) the right to access information about, and to participate in, decisions made about environmental matters, and to seek redress if these rights are not respected.

Pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs)

PRTRs are inventories of pollution from industrial sites and other sources. The protocol requires each party to set up a PRTR which:

• is publicly accessible online and free of charge;
• is searchable according to individual parameters, such as facility, pollutant, location and medium;
• has a user-friendly structure and provides links to other relevant registers;
• presents standardised, timely data in a structured, computerised database;
• covers releases and transfers of at least 86 pollutants, including greenhouse gases, acid rain pollutants, ozone-depleting substances, heavy metals and certain carcinogens such as dioxins;
• covers releases and transfers from certain major sources such as thermal power stations, the mining and metallurgical industries, chemical plants, waste and wastewater treatment plants and the paper and timber industries;
• includes available data on releases from various sources (e.g. transport and agriculture);
• allows for public participation in its development and modification.

The protocol also requires parties to work towards convergence in their PRTR systems.

Reporting requirements

The protocol requires that a PRTR is based on a reporting scheme that:

• is mandatory;
• is annual;
• covers different media, i.e. air, land, water;
• is facility specific;
• is pollutant-specific for releases;
• is pollutant-specific or waste-specific for transfers.

Minimum requirements

The protocol sets minimum requirements for pollutants and facilities, and parties are free to include additional elements.