The project
The origins of the INEMAR system
The emission inventory was carried out within the framework of the Regional Air Quality Plan (PRQA), a three-year project resulting from an agreement signed between the Environmental Quality General Direction of Lombardy Region and the Lombardy Foundation for the Environment, a no-profit research institution founded by the Lombardy Region. The Foundation cooperates with three among the major Lombardy universities.
The activities of PRQA are divided into two phases:
- The "survey phase" consisted of studies concerning atmosphere monitoring, climate analysis, institutional framework estimation, Air Emission Inventory, definition of dispersion and economical models, assessment of state, impact and pressure indicators. This phase was completed in December 2000 and its results have mostly been used to define local critical areas as regards to air pollution. Acts of this first phase were collected in a CD-Rom distributed to the participants to the introductive Convention of the PRQA first phase, held on 1st December 2000 in the Aula Magna of State University of Milan.
- The "proposal phase", which is still in progress. It includes proposals for intervention policies in several fields which are based on information collected during the first phase of the Plan.
A new agreement has been signed between Lombardy Region, Lombardy Foundation for Environment, ARPA Lombardy and "Politecnico di Milano" Technical University of Milan in order to:
- extend and consolidate the IMEMAR system,
- predispose a modality for data update,
- spread INEMAR results by means of a public website, publications, conventions.
With Regional Government Decree num. 6294 24/19/2001 that agreement has been fully ratified.
Another agreement has recently been signed between Lombardy Region and ARPA Lombardy (Regional Government Decree num. 13176 - 05/30/2003) which states the commitment to ARPA Lombardy of management, consolidation and further development of INEMAR 2001 emission inventory through:
- development of PM10 emissions' evaluation by means of a review of new emission factors and estimate methods;
- PM 2.5 emission inventory;
- completion of the greenhouse gases emission inventory and its harmonization with IPCC methodologies;
- development of INEMAR database in order to accomplish with Legislative Decree num. 372 (4th August 1999) "Actuation of the directive 96/61/CE concerning prevention and integrated reduction of pollution" (I.P.P.C.). The goal is to employ INEMAR dataset for administrative validation of pollution data provided by private firms and INEMAR framework to support the latter in compiling the I.P.P.C. mandatory declaration.
