Review Of Waste Management Exemptions: England And Wales
On 31 July 2008 the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra) launched a 12 week consultation on ways
to improve and simplify waste exemptions from environmental
permitting. The proposed changes are expected to increase waste
recovery and recycling, whilst maintaining high levels of
environment protection and reducing cost. Defra, the Welsh
Assembly Government (WAG) and the Environment Agency are
reviewing which waste management activities can continue to
operate under exemptions, and which will require a permit. The
review will be of interest to any businesses involved in
recycling, reuse or disposal of waste, and those interested in
the greater use of cleantech in waste management.
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Full Article
On 31 July 2008 the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra) launched a 12 week consultation on ways
to improve and simplify waste exemptions from environmental
permitting. The proposed changes are expected to increase waste
recovery and recycling, whilst maintaining high levels of
environment protection and reducing cost. Defra, the Welsh
Assembly Government (WAG) and the Environment Agency are
reviewing which waste management activities can continue to
operate under exemptions, and which will require a permit. The
review will be of interest to any businesses involved in
recycling, reuse or disposal of waste, and those interested in
the greater use of cleantech in waste management.
Current regime
Formerly, waste management exemptions were governed by the
Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 (as amended) and by
the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations 2000. As
of 6 April 2008 for England and Wales these regimes were
replaced by the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales)
Regulations 2007. An exemption allows certain waste management
activities to be carried out without an environmental permit.
Usually the exemptions are ringfenced by reference to tonnages
of waste involved, certain time constraints (e.g. for storage)
and other criteria. A particular waste management activity
would only be exempt if it fell within such criteria.
Simple exemptions
A simple exemption is a waste management activity that is
exempt from requiring an Environmental Permit and which is
relatively low risk. All that they require is a notification
sent to the Environment Agency. To access a list of current
qualifying simple exemptions, the Agency guidance and the
notification application form, click here.
Complex exemptions
A complex waste exemption covers waste management activities
that are exempt from permitting but which the Agency needs to
check to ensure that they will not harm the environment. Those
...
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