BEST AVAILABLE TECHNIQUES FOR FOUNDRIES

In understanding this chapter and its contents, the attention of the reader is drawn back to the preface of this document and in particular the fifth section of the preface How to understand and use this document . The techniques and associated emission and/or consumption levels, or ranges of levels, presented in this chapter have been assessed through an iterative process involving the following steps  

Expert judgement by the European IPPC Bureau and the relevant Technical Working Group (TWG) has played a key role in each of these steps and in the way in which the information is presented here. 

On the basis of this assessment, techniques, and as far as possible emission and consiunption levels associated with the use of BAT, are presented in this chapter that are considered to be appropriate to the sector as a whole and in many cases reflect current performance of some installations within the sector. Where emission or consumption levels associated with best available techniques are presented, this is to be understood as meaning that these levels represent the environmental performance that could be anticipated as a result of the application, in this sector, of the techniques described, bearing in mind the balance of costs and advantages inherent within the definition of BAT. However, they are neither emission nor eonsumption limit values and should not be understood as sueh. In some cases it may be technically possible to achieve better emission or consumption levels but due to the costs involved or cross-media considerations, they are not considered to be appropriate as BAT for the sector as a whole. However, such levels may be considered to be justified in more specific cases where there are special driving forces. 

The emission and consumption levels associated with the use of BAT have to be seen together with any specified reference conditions (e.g. averaging periods). 

The concept of levels associated with BAT described above is to be distinguished from the term achievable level used elsewhere in this document. Where a level is described as achievable using a particular technique or combination of techniques, this should be imderstood to mean that the level may be expected to be achieved over a substantial period of time in a well maintained and operated installation or process using those techniques. 

---