MONITORING OF PARTICULATE MATTER EMISSIONS IN STATIONARY SOURCES.

1.-Introduction

Atlantic Copper is one of the foremost global producers of copper (5th in the world and 1st in Europe). Its production capacity increased to 310 000 t of copper anodes, 260 000 t of copper cathodes, 180 000 t of wire rod and 180000t of wire and cable, which generate 900 000 t of sulphuric acid, 20 t of gold and 60 t of silver as subproducts.

Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold, Inc. (FCX), sole shareholder of Atlantic Copper, is one of the leading world producers of copper and gold. They have the largest copper and gold reserves on the planet at the Grasberg Mine in Irian Jaya. The operations of FCX are carried out through their affiliates PT Freeport Indonesia (mining exploration & development and copper, gold and silver minerals and global export and import of their concentrates), PT Iria Eastern Minerals (mining exploration) and Atlantic Copper, S.A. (copper smelting and refinement).

Atlantic Copper has production sites located in three Spanish cities (Huelva, Córdoba and Barcelona). Each one of these factories constitutes an important link in the chain, from the transformation of the raw materials to the production of copper rod and copper wire, which supports the downstream integration strategy of our sole shareholder.

Atlantic Copper’s Environment Policy establishes its obligations with the Environment, and the implementation of an integrated environmental management system (SIGMA) is the means of guaranteeing their fulfilment. This environmental management system stated AENOR certification in April 1998, according to the UNE-EN ISO 14001 standard, with the registration number CGM-98/016. This certification placed Atlantic Copper, as the leading company in the metallurgical sector.

In addition to this, Atlantic Copper, S.A. validated the first Environmental Declaration conforming to Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) in December of the same year, being the first company in the sector to have this distinction.

The major pollutants in copper metallurgy are SO₂ and particulate matter (PM). Before the compliance period of the new IPPC Directive requirements, regarding to the monitoring of industrial emissions, Atlantic Copper, was monitoring SO₂ emissions and is now carrying out the monitoring of PM emissions.