The government is revising the list of waste activities that are exempt from environmental permitting.
Draft regulations have been published and are expected to come into force on 6 April 2010
Who will the revised waste exemptions affect?
The new regulations will affect you if you:
- Operate a waste recycling, recovery or disposal business
- Currently operate under an exemption
- Operate under an EA low risk position.
If you have an environmental permit, you may find that you only need an exemption under the new regulations
Low Impact environmental activities,
If you carry out waste activities that are relatively low impact you may be exempt and you may need to:
- Register an exemption for an exempt waste operation
- Simple exemptions will need to be renewed every three years.
What is an exempt waste operation?
There are a range of waste activities that may be exempt from environmental permitting, including:
- Composting biodegradable waste for cultivating mushrooms
- Crushing, grinding or other size reduction of waste
- Cleaning or coating waste packaging, containers and textiles
- Storing waste securely
- Treating waste to recover materials
- Burning waste in an exempt incinerator at the place where the waste was produced
- Storing waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) for recovery at another place.
Non-hazardous waste exemptions and hazardous waste exemptions have changed see EA website for further details.
Register your exemption
There are only two main types of exemptions. (simple exemptions & complex exemptions)
If your activity is exempt from permitting you may need to register it with the Environment Agency.
If you want to register a simple exemption you must complete notification form WMX00.
If you want to register a complex exemption you must complete a notification form for your specific exemption. For example, you must complete notification form WMX19 if you want to register an exemption for construction waste under paragraph 19.
Most complex exemptions must be renewed every year. If the risks are too high, the EA may refuse to register your activity as exempt and you will need to apply for an environmental permit.
Environmental permitting in the future
Environmental permitting is being extended to cover other existing permitting regimes in the future.
- Waste carriers & brokers registrations Summer 2010
- Waste discharge consents April 2010
- Groundwater Authorizations April 2010
- Radioactive substances regulation April 2010
- Water abstraction & impoundment licenses April 2011
It will also be used to put into effect new permitting requirements in future EU directives
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