1. Environmental Standards for Regulation of mining projects in Greenland Kim Gustavson - Senior scientist Janne Fritt-Rasmussen - Environmental engineer

2. Regulation of mining projects in Greenland
The exploitation shall be carried out in accordance with good international practice:
Best Available Techniques (BAT)
Best Environmental Practice (BEP)
Best Practicable control Technology (BPT)
Environmental standards that must be met are listed in Guideline for EIA

3. Best Available Techniques (BAT)
BAT-referencedokumenter
(BREF
Emissions from storage
Treatment of waste
Treatment of waste water
Monitoring of emission from Industrial installation
Incineration of waste
Not only BREF but also BAT from mining projects in other countries is basis for the regulation

4. Standards for air
Euro norm emissions for category N3, EDC, (2000 and up)
Standard
Date
CO (g/kWh)
NOx (g/kWh)
HC (g/kWh)
PM (g/kWh)
Euro 0
1988–92
12.3
15.8
2.6 NA
Euro I
1992–95
4.9
9.0
1.23
0.40
Euro II
1995–99
4.0
7.0
1.1
0.15
Euro III
1999–2005
2.1
5.0
0.66
0.1
Euro IV
2005–08
1.5
3.5
0.46
0.02
Euro V
2008–12
2.0
Emission air standards for power plants, process plants, machinery etc. shall as a main rule comply with EU standards (alternative US standard).
Ambient quality air standards criteria outside buffer area shall as a main rule comply with EU standards (alternative US standard).

5. Transportation by ship is a central part of mining project in Greenland
IMO international rules, guidelines and conventions shall be meet including:
IMO Ballast Water Convention,
IMO MARPOL
IMO Polar Code
Upcoming environmental regulation for emissions to air
New Greenlandic marine environmental legislation (implementation of IMO rules in Greenlandic waters)

6. All process chemicals shall be evaluated and approved
Evaluation based on:
Detailed information on the composition of the products.
Standard data for toxicity, biodegradability and bioaccumulation in organisms.
Evaluation based on persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity (PBT) according to principles used in REACH (EU)/OSPAR.
PBT substances are substances that are persistent, bio accumulative and toxic
vPvB substances are characterized by a high persistency and a high tendency to bioaccumulated, but not necessarily by proven toxicity.

7. Specific concerns related to protection of the arctic environment
Are the arctic environment particularly sensitive?
Is international environmental standards sufficient for the protection of the Arctic environment?

8. Characteristics of the Arctic
Large seasonal variations in light and temperature
Low temperature
Slow degradation and metabolism
Long persistence of substances and chemicals
Longer developmental times of organism
Sensitive early life
Very high content of lipids
High bioaccumulation of lipofile chemicals

9. Arctic concern on Black Carbon
High attention is related to Black Carbon in arctic areas due climate effects
BC from sources outsides arctic will enter the troposphere and stratosphere and cause cooling at the surface during summer,
BC emission near the surface or within snow and ice causes strong surface warming because of its ability to trigger albedo feedback.
BC has short residence time in the atmosphere

10. Arctic evaluation of chemicals
Very little information is available on toxicity/bioaccumulation of chemicals in arctic organism, as well as degradation chemicals at arctic conditions
In case of uncertainty, supplementary “arctic” tests and studies must be conducted e.g.:
degradation of chemicals is studied at arctic condition.
Short-term and long-term bioaccumulation and toxicity is studied on arctic/high arctic organisms.
Mining chemicals are added to the slurry to make the minerals attach to the air bubbles. A froth is formed, which can be skimmed off.

11. Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) – a cheap fuel for power plants and ships
Arctic concern is among others related to:
High emission of harmful pollutants like SOx, NOx and BC
Break down slowly
Spill are very harmful for environment
Very difficult to cleanup
Use of scrubbers may pollute seawater

12. Regulation in Greenland is based on
BAT, BEP, BPT
Newest International environmental standards
Supplementary “arctic” tests and studies
Based for the regulation are indicated and specified in the Greenlandic guideline for preparing an EIA