Regulation on Wastewater Quality Standards for Oil and Gas, and Geothermal Operations

Ministry of the Environment Regulation No. 19 of 2010 on Wastewater Quality Standards for Oil and Gas, and Geothermal Operations (“Regulation”) has been issued to prevent environmental damage that can arise from the activities of oil and gas, and geothermal businesses. The Regulation sets out wastewater quality standards based on the precautionary, fairness, and transparency principles.

Quality standards specify the tolerable limit of pollutants in the wastewater that is discharged into the environment.

Article 2 (1) divides wastewater quality standards into five categories, and the Appendixes set out the tolerable levels of various pollutants:

Regional and local governments can create additional regulations to further restrict the tolerable pollutant levels in accordance with Articles 5 and 6. The imposition of such standards by a governor is subject to approval by the Minister of the Environment pursuant to Article 5 (2).

Environmental impact assessments (under Articles 7 and 8), and previously mandated standards (under Article 11 (1)), that call for lower pollutant levels than those specified by the Regulation take precedence. Those subject to previously mandated standards that allow for higher pollutant levels than those specified in the Regulation have to comply with the pollutant level limits specified in the Regulation within 1 year (before 30 November 2011).

The Regulation repeals and replaces Ministry of the Environment Regulation No. 4 of 2007 on the same subject matter.

The Regulation has been in force since 30 November 2010.