En EnvStand19 Ambient Air Quality

Environmental Standards

Ambient Air Quality

KSA Presidency of Meteorology and Environment PME Reference

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Page 1 of 6

Article I – Preliminary

1) Definitions

‘airsheds’ shall refer to a geographic area that, due to topography, meteorology, and climate, shares the same air; ‘ambient air' shall mean that portion of the atmosphere, external to buildings, to which the general public has access.; ‘Competent Agency’ Refers to the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment or officially designated authority. ‘GER’ Refers to the General Environmental regulation; ‘KSA’ Refers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; ‘level' shall mean the concentration of a pollutant in ambient air or the deposition thereof on surfaces in a given time; ‘limit value' shall mean a level fixed on the basis of scientific knowledge, with the aim of avoiding, preventing or reducing harmful effects on human health and/or the environment as a whole, to be attained within a given period and not to be exceeded once attained; ‘natural events' shall mean volcanic eruptions, seismic activities, geothermal activities, wild-land fires, high-wind events or the atmospheric re-suspension or transport of natural particles from dry regions; ‘normal cubic metre (Nm3)’ means that volume of dry gas which occupies a cubic metre at a temperature of zero degrees Celsius and at an absolute pressure equivalent to one atmosphere; ‘PM2.5' is particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of up to 2.5 µm, referred to as the fine particle fraction; ‘PM10' is particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of up to 10 µm, the fine and coarse particle fractions combined; ‘PME’ Refers to the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment who are designated as the responsible authority for the protection of the environment and the development of environmental protection standards in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;

‘pollutant' shall mean any substance introduced directly or indirectly by man into the ambient air and likely to have harmful effects on human health and/or the environment as a whole; ‘urban’ shall refer to towns and other designated census area that have a population greater than 2500; ‘rural’ shall refer to all areas outside the boundaries of urban areas;

2) Citation

a) This document may be cited as the Ambient Air Quality Standard. These standards amend the current General Environmental Regulation (GER) Standards for the Environment through document number 1409-01 which appends the GER and is issued and enforced by the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME).

3) Timescales for implementation

. a) The effective date of this standard is 01/05/1433H

corresponds to 24/03/2012G.

4) Purpose

a) The objective of this standard is to set out the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Air Quality Standards for sustainable management of ambient air quality within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. b) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Air Quality Standards introduce a baseline standard for air quality which aims to protect the Kingdom’s public health and natural ecosystem including cropland, forest, desert and wetlands whilst allowing economic and social development. c) The Competent Agency is concerned with the health, aesthetic, physical and chemical qualities of ambient air both for humans and for the environment. d) These standards shall provide a basis for the maintenance and/or restoration of ambient air quality and attempt to prevent or reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment as a whole.

e) These standards also provide a means of ensuring the effectiveness of the KSA’s Point and Mobile source Emission Standards 5) Scope

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National Environmental Standard

Ambient Air Quality



a) This standard relates specifically to the ambient air quality. b) This standard prescribes limit values for ambient air quality parameters. c) This standard establishes the responsibilities of the Competent Agency with regards to managing ambient air quality in the Kingdom.

6) Exemptions

a) Exemptions may be applied where factors exist which make the enforcement of this standard impracticable or inappropriate. b) Exemption may be made for the activities specified in, but not restricted to, table 1. The Competent Agency will determine where these exemptions apply and which, if any, activities beyond this list are included.

. Table 1 – Exempt activities

Activity

Exemption applies

Dispersion zones

When authorised by PME

Indoor air At all times

Natural events Where relevant

7) Powers of Authority

a) Within the scope of these standards PME may;

i) Prescribe specific requirements as to the air contaminants and concentrations of ambient air contaminants that are to be present in or absent from air within the Kingdom;

ii) Prescribe specific requirements as to

other characteristics of ambient air.

iii) Authorise such relaxations of and departures from the ambient air quality standards, to make any such authorisation subject to the prescribed conditions, and to modify or revoke any such authorisation or condition; and

iv) Authorise a locally Concerned Agency to

exercise any power conferred by regulations made by virtue of paragraphs (i)-(iii) above.

b) PME may for the purposes of this Standard appoint (a) person(s) to act on their behalf as technical assessors and monitors in relation to the

powers and duties conferred on him (them) by this standard and/or subsequent amendment. c) A person or organisation appointed by PME shall carry out such investigations that may be required for him to carry out for the purpose of ascertaining whether any duty or other requirement imposed on that party by this Standard is being, has been or is likely to be contravened. d) In addition to the powers conferred by other sections contained within these standards, it shall be the duty of a relevant party;

i) to give the competent authority all such assistance; and

ii) to provide the competent authority with all

such information, as may reasonably be required for the purpose of carrying out an investigation.

e) Any competent authority for the purpose of ambient air quality regulation may;

i) enter any premises for the purpose of

carrying out any such investigation detailed in Article I (7c) above;

ii) carry out such inspections, measurements

and tests on premises entered, articles or records found on any such premises, and take away information for the purpose of enabling such investigation; or

iii) at any time require any relevant party to

supply them with copies of, or of extracts from, any records kept at the facility.

8) Enforcement procedures

a) Failure to comply with the requirements of these standards may lead to prosecution by the Competent Agency and those convicted of such failure may be subject to fines or periods of imprisonment as laid out in the General Environmental Regulations. b) It is anticipated that the requirements of this standard will be enforced nationally with inspections taking place to verify their implementation at a regional and local level.

9) Penalty fines

a) Maximum fines that may be imposed for exceeding the applicable standard, breach of permit are set out in the General Environmental Regulations.

10) Appeals



a) A right of appeal exists for any organisation or individual who is required to take action as a consequence of the implementation of this revised standard. b) The right of appeal against conviction or sentence is available through the appropriate judicial system as set out in the General Environmental Regulations.

c) All appeals should be fully supported with a documented case containing as a minimum, the information required under the appeals process of the General Environmental Regulations.

11) Periodic review a) There may be some requirement at a future date to adjust the standards included to recognise specific local conditions and or improved understanding of the effects of mobile source air emissions. b) As a minimum, the Competent Agency shall undertake a periodic review of this standard every 5 years. c) Where new information suggests that adjustments are required to this standard, all changes will be subject to the appropriate consultation and will be notified to facilities by the Competent Agency. Appropriate implementation time will be allowed.

Article II – General provisions

1) Units of measurement

a) Where numerical values are stated in relation to ambient air quality standards the units are also present, these will vary according to the parameter referenced. b) Micrograms per normal metre cubed (μg/Nm3) shall be used to indicate the concentration of gaseous, particulate and toxic pollutants. c) For prohibition for an individual substance the concentration limit may be specified as undetectable or ‘0’ and for no provision for any standard of a particular parameter specification may be presented as N/A.

2) Definition of air quality management zones

a) Air Quality Zones will correspond directly with current municipality boundaries.

b) Where agreed with the Competent Agency, the municipality may agree division of its air Quality Zone to reflect the disparity between urban and rural areas.

c) Air quality management zones allow for the coordinated control of air quality in geographical areas that have defined boundaries.

Article III – Ambient air controls

1) Permitted ambient air pollutant limits

a) Threshold concentrations for ambient air pollutants are set out within Appendix A.

b) These standards are defined through a concentration and a specified averaging time and in some cases a number of allowable exceedances. c) The Competent Agency shall liaise with relevant bodies responsible for the protection of nationally and internationally designated sites and species to ensure that ambient air quality standards objectives are appropriate to maintain and improve air quality. d) Where additional protection is required for a receptor identified in (c), the Competent Agency may, on a case by case basis, agree to revise one or more of the parameters / or provisions of this standard. e) Sampling and analytical methods should be carried out in accordance with the most recent edition of the USEPA1 methodologies for the sampling and analysis of point source and fugitive air emissions.

2) Dispersion zones

a) The Competent Agency may, on a case by case basis, allow air quality to exceed the standards set out in Appendix A. These areas are referred to as a Dispersion Zones. b) A dispersion zone must not impinge upon a sensitive receptor. Sensitive receptor, in this case, refers to:

i) any area where there is a permanent human presence;

ii) areas used for livestock or crop

production; and iii) areas that are protected for conservation,

ecological status or amenity value.

3) Degraded airsheds

a) Degraded airshed exist when thresholds in Appendix A are compromised. Under these conditions the competent agency shall undertake a forensic investigation to determine the source of air pollution.

1 As promulgated in the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).



b) Where the forensic investigation reveals the non-compliance to be caused by single or multiple pollution sources failing to operate within the requirements of this standard, these facilities will be subject to controls as set out in the Stationary Source Air Quality Standards. c) Where the forensic investigation reveals the non-compliance to be caused by the co-location of multiple pollution sources, and those sources are operating within their permit requirements, the Competent Agency will undertake the following actions:

i) undertake a focussed programme of monitoring to determine all contributing sources; and

ii) where the breach is deemed persistent

and severe enough to warrant mitigating action, the Competent Agency has authority to issue pollution abatement notices to any or all facilities identified in (i).

d) Where the investigation reveals the non-compliance to be caused by mobile sources, the Competent Agency will liaise with the municipality to devise a mitigation strategy.

4) Emissions from natural sources

a) The Competent Agency may designate air quality zones, agglomerations or specific locations where an exceedance of ambient threshold values for a given pollutant is attributable to natural causes. b) Where natural causes are considered attributable for a violation, the Competent Agency is not required to take any further action.

Article IV – Air quality planning and monitoring 1) Ambient air quality management planning

a) The Competent Agency will control the national ambient air quality strategy. b) It shall be the responsibility of each municipality to develop an ambient air quality management plan for the maintenance and / or improvement of ambient air quality within the relevant air quality zone. The management plan must be authorised by the Competent Agency and shall include, as a minimum:

i) air quality objectives and targets; ii) identification of areas of depleted air

quality, including urban and industrial airsheds;

iii) preventative strategies for the control of

air pollution; and

iv) plans for mitigating air quality issues within depleted airsheds.

c) The municipality shall provide to the Competent Agency an annual report on the performance of their ambient air quality management plan. This should be provided for the whole calendar year by the end of the first quarter each year. d) The Competent Agency shall produce a report at 5 yearly intervals detailing the performance of national ambient air quality strategy and this report shall be available to the public.

2) Ambient air monitoring and analysis network

a) The monitoring programme for ambient air standards will be carried out by the Competent Agency and will contain as a minimum:

i) parameters to be monitored; ii) sampling locations and frequency; iii) sampling methods and equipment; iv) schedules for sampling; v) methods for quality assurance and

validation of sampling results; vi) requirements for checking and

interpreting results; vii) responsibilities and necessary

qualifications of staff; viii) requirements for documentation and

management of records; ix) data to be recorded and sorted; and x) requirements for reporting and

communicating results. b) Any breach of the prescribed concentrations and values in Appendix A, or significant changes in ambient air characteristics causing public complaint, will result in full investigation by the competent authority. c) Samples collected should be representative of the quality of air in the vicinity. d) Sample site selection shall consider the characteristics of pollutant sources, source distribution and prevailing wind characteristics.

e) The location and number of measurement positions will depend on the required spatial resolution for the environment under consideration. f) The measurement positions shall be recorded on a map.



Appendix A – Prescribed concentrations and values

TABLE 1 – AMBIENT AIR QUALITY LIMITS

Parameter

Time-weighted average

μg/Nm3 (ppm)

Averaging time

Number of allowable exceedances2

Carbon Monoxide

10,000 (8.1) 40,000 (32)

8 hours 1 Hour

None

Lead

0.5 (0.00005)

Annual

N/A

Nitrogen Dioxide

660 (0.35) 100 (0.05)

1 hour Annual

2 times per 30 days N/A

Sulphur Dioxide

730 (0.28) 365 (0.14) 80 (0.03)

1 hour 24 hour Annual

2 times per annum 1 time per annum N/A

Benzene

5 (0.0015)

Annual

N/A

Particulate Matter (PM10)

340 (variable) 80 (variable)

24 hour Annual

24 times per annum3 N/A

Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

35 15

24 hour Annual

24 times per annum4 N/A

Ozone

235 (0.12)

1 hour

2 times per 30 days

Ozone

157 (0.08)

8 hour

2 times per 7 days

Hydrogen Sulphide

150 (0.1) 40 (0.03)

24 hour Annual

10 times per annum N/A

2 Violations will only be reportable where validated data is available for 98% of measurements 3 The average 90th Percentile 24 hour concentration must not exceed 340μg/Nm3 4 The average 90th Percentile 24 hour concentration must not exceed 35μg/Nm3

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En EnvStand19 Ambient Air Quality