Contacts
Annie Gabriel
National Pollutant Inventory Task Force, Environment Protection Agency
40 Blackall Street, Barton Act 2600, Australia telefon +61-6-2741661, fax +61-6-2741230

Name of the system: the National Pollutant Inventory, NPI

A. The Rise and Development of the System

There exist several reasons for creating NPI: to ensure information for environmental planning and eco-management, to ensure the public right to information of the environment, to minimize waste amount and to use better technologies. The national database of wastes and greenhouse gases will be also opened for public. The right to information, the trade secret and penalty determination belong to the main legislative parts of the NPI.

In 1992 the Prime Minister promised to prepare the NPI and 1996 was the first year when information reporting started. Creating of the system was based on many consultations of the government with industry and public representatives . These dialogues were directed by private firm the Negotiated Solutions Ltd. Because the Environmental Protection Agency in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia had asked for it. Local inhabitants, ecological organizations, scientists, self-government, state management, agriculture and manufacturing industry representatives, businessmen, representatives of industry and trade unions took part in consultations of the NPI system.

B. The Structure of the System

The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for the system. The system includes both point and dispersed emission sources. In point sources the data are reported annually. In dispersed sources ( e.g. cars ) emission data are estimated. It is very expensive and so the period could be even 3 or 4 years. In public there appear requirements to check some kinds of emissions quarter-yearly. Seasonal trends of pollution could be described then.

Because of delimitating the group of reporters emission volume limits were set for some substances. Exceeding these limits means that the reporter has to report it. Farmers and small-sized enterprises are not included among reporters. Offices estimate emission volume totally for whole geographical regions for pollutants whose emission amount is smaller than limits.

Emissions into water, air and soil are checked. And following of stored and processed waste is being discussed.

The data from the NPI are spread by Internet and on compact discs. Annual chart summaries are spread actively. They are accessible at universities, in local libraries, through self-government offices and ecological information centers. Some data are published in press.

Requirements for spreading information are generally defined as: good accessibility and intelligibility, the English language and the language of native inhabitants, accessibility by phone ( direct line free of charge is being discussed ), good accessibility of printed material in every region, complementary information of health risks and safety, educational programs for public.