Applying statistical tools systematically to determine industrial emission levels associated with the best available techniques

The industrial emissions limit values are determined in current European legislation by reference documents, where the best available techniques are analysed and selected. To date, few methods to derive emission limit values have been described in the literature. A sound and scientifically proven method is proposed to ensure a rigorous, transparent and fair (emission limit value) selection process. The proposed method is based on statistical tools. The results and recommendations in this paper can be considered as a starting point for the development of a method for determining emission limit values for industrial sectors in the context of the European legislation. This method provides a greater level of detail than the current guidance document (Commission Implementing decision of 10th February 2012). Statistical principles and tools (such as hypothesis testing, confidence interval or significance) can be applied to this process, to the analysis of industrial emission to determine (or updated) the emission limit value. The selection of sample size (for the data collection stage) should be based on the confidence interval concept that must take into account variability in order to deliver similar goodness of fit. This would reduce negotiations and expert judgement exercises. Simplified hypothesis testing exercises (such as comparing emissions achieved with BATs against emissions achieved without BATs) will deliver unambiguous conclusions. The results prove that the proposed method will deliver objective conclusions based on a transparent, sound, systematic and well known process steps. It will reduce subjective decision making or unknown data analysis steps.