Exclusion zone (green belt) radius around hazardous chemical industries What is the typical radius prescribed for an exclusion zone with a protective green belt where public access is restricted around hazardous/polluting chemical facilities?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 1000

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Land-use planning and buffer zoning reduce public exposure to accidental releases, routine emissions, and nuisance impacts (noise, odour). Many siting guidelines recommend an exclusion zone—often with a planted green belt—around hazardous or highly polluting chemical facilities.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The question asks for a commonly cited radial distance for general MCQ purposes.
  • Exact regulatory values can vary by country, hazard category, and risk assessment.
  • We select a standard planning benchmark used in conventional exam settings.


Concept / Approach:
A 1000 m (1 km) exclusion/green belt buffer is a widely referenced planning value in many teaching texts for hazardous installations, providing dispersion distance, visual screening, and land-use separation. While site-specific quantitative risk assessment may refine this distance, the 1 km figure is the canonical single-choice answer.



Step-by-Step Solution:

Identify need for a defensible general value.Recognize 1 km as the commonly taught planning distance for high-hazard sites.Choose 1000 m from the options.


Verification / Alternative check:
Teaching materials and example siting problems often apply 1 km buffers before more detailed risk-based calculations.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

100 m / 400 m: Typically too small to ensure effective public separation for major hazard facilities.4000 m: Four kilometres is a large exclusion that exceeds common planning baselines absent special hazards.


Common Pitfalls:
Treating the buffer as a universal legal requirement; in practice, risk-based, topography, and meteorology-specific evaluations refine distances.



Final Answer:
1000

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