Fixing of Appropriate Distances Between Industry and Residential Areas

According to the Seveso Directive [1] Member States shall ensure that their land-use and/or other relevant policies and the procedures for implementing those policies take account of the need, in the long term, to maintain appropriate distances between establishments covered by this Directive and residential areas, areas of public use and areas of particular natural sensitivity or interest... . This is implemented in the German legislation in [2]. 

The demand for distances is justified by the argument that in addition to plant engineered safety measures a further barrier for protecting the population from potential harm due to the operation of industrial installations shall be implemented (level 4 of Table 4.1). Should an appropriate distance not be possible in case of existing establishments, additional technical measures are to be implemented so as not to increase the risk to people. 

Whilst in Germany a deternunistic approach for fixing appropriate distances is pursued [3], this is done probabilistically or at least using probabilistic elements in a number of European countries [4]. 

The possibility of compensating insufficient distance by technical measures suggests a probabilistic approach. Risk then is the common denominator which makes technical measures and distance comparable with each other. 

Furthermore, if one bases the fixing of appropriate distances on rarely occurring maximum distances, as shown in Table 12.1, this would lead to distances which would be prohibitive in most countries and particularly in Germany. However, in view of the small risk they constitute they would not be an adequate basis for decision. This favours a risk-based approach for fixing appropriate distances. 

---

Fixing of Appropriate Distances Between Industry and Residential Areas... 

---