Novel Approach for Integrated Environmental Management Systems

Integrated permitting systems are being progressively implemented by governments worldwide owing to their beneficial effects on site-level environmental management. However, different countries have implemented different systems that reflect their own national conditions, resulting in varying efficacy. Based on experience from Korea, here, we propose an e-permit system that implements (i) package management of industries related to or within the value chain of permitted industries, (ii) site-specific best available techniques (BATs), (iii) automatic calculations of BAT-associated emission levels (BAT-AELs), and (iv) code-based management of environmental factors using a ReGreen-BAT (RG-BAT) diagram. The e-permit system improves permitting process efficiency and reduces the review period from 35 days to 2–23 days depending on the industry sector. Additionally, by leveraging big data collected through the Integrated Environmental Permitting System for post-permit management, administrative efficiency could be further improved. Integrating industries related to or within the value chain of the target industries in the Integrated Environmental Management System (IEMS) can reduce pollution, improve resource circulation, and promote energy efficiency and cost savings. When selecting BATs, the balloon effect and internal site-specific factors should be evaluated to realize more tailored and acceptable BAT selection. Automation of BAT-AEL calculations using Python considerably reduces the processing time to 2–3 weeks. The RG-BAT diagram helps visualize BAT effectiveness and allows businesses to easily identify suitable BATs. The insights gained herein indicate that countries implementing IEMS can benefit from sharing implementation experiences and should collaborate on the development of advanced systems.