The Central Pollution Control Board in December 2025, issued the SOP and Checklist of Minimal Requisite Facilities for the utilization of Spent Hydrochloric Acid (Generated during scrubbing of process gas liberated from the Chlorination of Phenol) for Manufacturing of Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC) for use as coagulant in Effluent Treatment Plant or as sizing material in the Pulp & paper industry.
The following has been stated namely: -
• The SOP provides a Standard Operating Procedure for the utilization of Spent Hydrochloric Acid (generated during scrubbing of process gas from the chlorination of phenol) as a resource input in manufacturing Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC).
• PAC is to be used as a coagulant in effluent treatment plants or as a sizing material in the pulp and paper industry.
• The SOP is developed under Rule 9 of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, which allows use of specified hazardous wastes as raw materials only where such utilization is detailed in CPCB-approved protocols.
• SPCBs/PCCs are required to verify that authorization and compliance conditions are met, including infrastructure, monitoring, and record keeping as per the SOP.
[SOP No. 126]
