Foreword
The Minimal National Standards {MINAS) for a particular industry IS the effluent standard achievable by the industry by installing pollution control measures which are within the techno- economic capability of the industry. Depending on the gravity of the pollution and1echno-economic assessment of the requisite pollution control measures the MINAS may be attained in one stroke or in phases. The evolution of MINAS thus rem~in independent of the characteristics of the recipient environment: The Central and State Boards for Pollution Control have come to an agreement that under no circumstances MINAS would be relaxed as because the same is techno-economica1ly acceptable to the industry. One the countrary, at situations where the recipient environment demands stricter quality of the effluent of the industry, the State Boards are required to prescribe standards stricter than M1NAS.

Ihe present treatise, belongs to the series-Comprehensive Industry Document Series: COINDS, contains the salient highlights of the main document prepared in respect of OIL REFINERIES. Considerable information was collected from the refineries and their cooperation in the en'deavour of the Central Board is gratefully acknowledged. The Comprehensive Industry Document on Oil Refineries was prepared by M/s Universal Enviro- Science, Private Limited, New Delhi.

'Dr. K.R. Ranganathan, Environmental Engineer, Central Board, coordinated the activities in preparing this document. and prepared this summary document from the main document.

This document should be useful to the industry,1he regulatory agencies, the consultants and toall interested in pollution control.