Commission Recommendation of 30 May 2008 on risk reduction measures for the substances: trichloroethylene, benzene, and 2-methoxy-2-methylbutane (TAME) (notified under document number C(2008) 2271) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2008-05-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: chemical product, dangerous substance, environmental protection, environmental risk prevention, health risk, industrial hazard, occupational safety

L 162/34

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

21.6.2008

RECOMMENDATIONS

COMMISSION

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION

of 30 May 2008

on risk reduction measures for the substances: trichloroethylene, benzene, and 2-methoxy-2-
methylbutane (TAME)

(notified under document number C(2008) 2271)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/471/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(2)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 of
23 March 1993 on the evaluation and control of the risks of
existing substances (1) and in particular Article 11(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

for

In the framework of Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 the
following substances have been identified as priority
substances
accordance with
Commission Regulations (EC) No 1179/94 (2) and (EC)
No 2364/2000 (3) respectively concerning the first and
the fourth list of priority substances as foreseen under
Regulation (EEC) No 793/93:

evaluation

in

— trichloroethylene,

— benzene,

The rapporteur Member States designated pursuant to
those Regulations have completed the risk evaluation
activities with regard to man and the environment for
those substances in accordance with Commission Regu-
lation (EC) No 1488/94 of 28 June 1994 laying down
the principles for the assessment of risks to man and the
environment of existing substances in accordance with
Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 (4)
and have
suggested a strategy for limiting the risks.

(3)

The Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the
Environment (SCTEE) and the Scientific Committee on
Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) have been
consulted and have issued opinions with respect to the
risk evaluations carried out by the rapporteurs. The
opinions have been published on the website of
the
Scientific Committees.

(4)

The results of the risk evaluation and further results of
the strategies for limiting the risks are set out in the
corresponding Commission Communication (5).

— 2-methoxy-2-methylbutane (TAME).

(5)

(1) OJ L 84, 5.4.1993, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC)
No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ
L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1).
(2) OJ L 131, 26.5.1994, p. 3.
(3) OJ L 273, 26.10.2000, p. 5.

(4) OJ L 161, 29.6.1994, p. 3.
(5) OJ C 157, 21.6.2008, p. 1.

is appropriate, on the basis of

to
It
recommend certain risk reduction measures for certain
substances.

that evaluation,

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Official Journal of the European Union

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The risk reduction measures recommended for workers
should be considered within the framework of the legis-
lation for workers protection, which is considered to
provide an adequate framework to limit
the risks of
the relevant substances to the extent needed.

4. To facilitate permitting and monitoring under Directive
2008/1/EC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control)
benzene should be included in the ongoing work to
develop guidance on ‘Best Available Techniques’ (BAT).

(6)

(7)

The risk reduction measures provided for in this recom-
mendation are in accordance with the opinion of the
Committee set up pursuant to Article 15(1) of Regulation
(EEC) No 793/93,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS:

SECTION 1

TRICHLOROETHYLENE

(CAS No 79-01-6; Einecs No 201-167-4)

Risk reduction measures for workers (1)

1. A voluntary agreement should be considered with the
European Chlorinated Solvents Association on behalf of
European producers of
their distributors
the substance,
the substance to
and customers, restricting the sale of
purchasers who comply with the Charter for the safe use
of trichloroethylene in metal cleaning. This Charter requires
that users may only use trichloroethylene for metal
cleaning in sealed or enclosed systems as defined in Part
4 of European Standard EN 12921, and is subject to third-
party monitoring of compliance.

SECTION 2

BENZENE

(CAS No 71-43-2; Einecs No 200-753-7)

Risk reduction measures for the environment (2, 3, 4
and 5)

2. For

the

risks

elimination of potential

to industrial
wastewater treatment plants at benzene production and/or
processing sites it is recommended that competent authori-
ties in the Member States concerned lay down conditions,
emission limit values or equivalent parameters or technical
measures regarding benzene in the permits issued under
Council Directive 2008/1/EC of the European Parliament
(Integrated Pollution Prevention
and of
and Control)
in order to operate according to the best
available techniques taking into account the technical cha-
racteristic of the installations concerned, their geographical
location and the local environmental conditions.

the Council (1)

5. Exposure of microorganisms

in industrial wastewater
treatment plants should, where necessary, be controlled
by national rules to ensure that no risk for the microor-
ganisms and the environment is expected.

SECTION 3

2-METHOXY-2-METHYLBUTANE (TAME)

(CAS No 994-05-8; Einecs No 213-611-4)

Risk reduction measures for the environment (6-11)

to groundwater

6. The prevention of all anthropogenic inputs,

including
is a key objective of current
TAME,
Community legislation (2).
is recommended therefore
It
that monitoring programmes be undertaken, where appro-
early detection of
priate,
groundwater contaminated by TAME.

to permit

in order

the

7. It is further recommended that the best available techniques
be widely applied for the construction and operation of
petrol underground storage and distribution facilities at
service stations.
should
consider mandatory requirements especially for all service
stations in groundwater recharge areas.

regard Member States

In this

8. The competent authorities in the Member States concerned
in the permits issued under Directive
should lay down,
2008/1/EC, conditions, emission limit values or equivalent
parameters or technical measures regarding TAME in order
for installations concerned to operate according to the best
available techniques (BAT) taking into account the technical
characteristic of the installations concerned, their geogra-
phical location and the local environmental conditions.

9. Member States should carefully monitor the implemen-
tation of BAT regarding TAME and report any important
developments to the Commission in the framework of the
exchange of information on BAT.

10. Local

emissions

should, where
necessary, be controlled by national rules to ensure that
no risk for the environment is expected.

surface water

to the

3. Member States should carefully monitor the implemen-
any
to the Commission in the

tation of BAT regarding benzene
important developments
framework of the exchange of information on BAT.

and report

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2008, p. 8.

11. The risk reduction measures recommended to protect the
groundwater are considered sufficient to protect humans
via the environment.

(2) Directive 2000/60/EC of

the
Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a
framework for
Community action in the field of water policy (OJ L 327,
22.12.2000, p. 1).

the European Parliament and of

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Official Journal of the European Union

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SECTION 4

ADDRESSEES

12. This Recommendation is addressed to all sectors importing, producing, transporting, storing, formu-
lating into a preparation or other processing, using, disposing or recovering the substances and to the
Member States.

Done at Brussels, 30 May 2008.

For the Commission

Stavros DIMAS
Member of the Commission