Pollution Prevention and Control Legislation Flashcards
what is the Environment Act 2021
a broad framework covering numerous seas of environmental management in the UK
what bare the key requirements of the Environment Act 2021?
- Taggert setting
- waste and resource efficiency
- air quality
- water
- natural world, biodiversity and conservation
what are the regulated facilities as per the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016
- installations
- mobile plant
- waste operations
- radioactive substance activities
- water discharge activities
- groundwater activities
- a small waste incineration plant (England only)
- flood risk activity
- medium combustion plant
- specified generator
an environmental permit is required to operate any of these facilities
What are the environmental impact elements of Part A(1) and Part A(2) installation environment permit
- emissions of pollutants to air, water and land
- energy efficiency
- waste management
- consumption of raw materials
- noise and vibration
- site restoration and decommissioning
what are the elements of installation regulated requirements under the Environmental Permitting Regulations
- energy industries
- production of metals
- chemical manufacture
- recovery processes eg waste oils and incinerators
- tanneries etc
what re the two common types of environmental permits for waste
- installation permits
- waste operation permits
what issues are taken into consideration before permits are granted for installation and waste operations?
- pollution of the environment and harm to human health
- whether the applicant is a ‘fit and proper’ person
- compliance with completion conditions
exemptions to waste operation permits may or may not be required to be registered
Environmental Permitting Regulations Part B refers to0 what?
installation permits solely surrounding emissions to air
what regulations control emissions from Medium Combustion Plants?
Environmental Permitting (England and Wales (Amendment) Regulations referring to the requirements of the Medium Combustion Plant Directive
controls emission limit values for
- sulphur dioxide
- nitrogen dioxide
- dust
what are the conditions that may be imposed in a water discharge activity permit?
- the places for discharges and there design and construction of outlets
- the nature of such discharges and periods allowed for discharge
- sampling facilities
- provision of meters
- keeping records
- making returns
what re the enforcement options available to regulators
- enforcement permits
- suspension of permits
what organisations are involved in the enforcement off the PPC/EP installation regime?
- EA and NRW in England and Wales
- Scotland is SEPA
- Northern Ireland - NIEA
what is the statutory definition of waste applied in the UK?
EC Framework Directive on Waste (2008/98/EC)
any substance or object which the holder discards, intends to discard, or is required to discard
what are the principle categories of waste?
- controlled waste
- hazardous waste
- non-hazardous waste
- clinical waste
- special waste (Scotland)
- radioactive waste
- inert waste
- toxic waste
what is controlled waste?
waste that is subject to EPA 1990 is known as controlled waste
- domestic industrial
- commercial
- also hazardous waste
what is the legislation that identifies the waste classifications?
Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 and Controlled Waste Regulations 1992 in Scotland.
what is non-hazardous waste
anything not classified as hazardous waste including
- household waste
- paper
- wood
- degradable waste
what is hazardous waste?
defined by the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005
what is clinical waste?
defined in the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 as all waste from a healthcare activity (including veterinary care) and waste of a similar nature from a non-healthcare activity
what is radioactive waste?
defined in Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017
any substance which contains one or more radionuclides whose activity cannot be disregarded for the purpose of radiation protection
what is inert waste?
waste that is stable - i.e. does not degrade physically, chemically, or biologically, does not burn, dissolve, chemically react or leach out to any degree
what is toxic waste?
waste that may cause death, injury, or birth defects to living creatures such as mutagenic and carcinogenic substances
what legislation is hazardous and non-hazardous waste detailed in?
List of Wastes Decision 2000/532/EC
what are the key requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Part II Section 34(the duty of care)
- prevention of the escape of waste
- transfer of waste only to an authorised person
- a written description transferred with the waste
- prevention of the illegal disposal, treatment or storage of waste
what is the definition of waste holders?
those who have waste on their premises or under their control (whether they are producers, transporters or disposers of waste
what are the elements to prevent escape of waste?
- waste should be placed in containers which are suitable to prevent its escape during storage, transport and up to and often including disposal
- it is necessary for producers of waste to know how their waste will be treated, stored and transported to ensure that the containers are adequate for the purpose
- measures should be taken to store wastes in a secure location
- incompatible wastes should be stored in separate, segregated locations
- waste must be stored securely and kept in suitable labelled containers at all times
- where practicable, wastes should be kept under cover while awaiting collection
what is required when waste is removed from a premises or site?
written information must be prepared
what legislation provides for registration of waste carriers?
Waste (England and Wales) Regulation 2011
a two tier system of:
- lower tier registration
- upper tier registration
all persons treating, storing or disposing of waste must have a waste operation or installation environmental permit under?
Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016
What does Waste (Household Waste Duty of Care (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 state?
imposes a duty of care on an occupier of a domestic property in respect of the household waste produced on the property such that it is only transferred to an authorised person
what does Regulation (EC) No 1012/2006 (Waste Shipments Regulation) enabled in the UK as Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 1996 (as amended) refer to?
the system of control governing the shipment of waste across national boundaries
Specific hazardous waste legal requirements are contained in the Hazardous waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005
- definition of hazardous waste
- restriction of wastes
- consignment note arrangements
- returns and records
what’s the definition of Hazardous waste?
may be hazardous if it is listed as a hazardous waste in the Annex to the List of Wastes Decision (2000/532/EC) or Special Waste Regulations (1996 (as amended) in Scotland
mixing of hazardous wastes
no permitted and an offence unless permitted as part of a disposal or recovery operation
detail consignment notes
must be completed whenever hazardous waste is removed from premises (includes removal from ships and removal by pipeline)
return and records retention of documents
producers, holders, carriers consignors and consignees are required to keep records for a minimum of three years.
except of the case of carriers where the period is 12 months
draw the waste hierarchy
what are the main waste offences are detailed in Section 33 of the EPA 1990?
- to deposit (directive) waste in or on land, temporarily or permanently, except in accordance with the conditions of a current environment permit
- to treat, keep or dispose of waste in or on land, or by means of mobile plant, except in accordance with an environmental permit. To knowingly cause or knowingly permit any of the above actions
- to treat, keep or dispose of (directive) waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human to human health (whatever the licensing arrangements)
what are the main waste offences under the Environmental Permitting Regulations?
- to contravene, or knowingly cause or knowingly permit the contravention of Regulation 12 (no person may operate a regulated facility unless they have an environmental permit)
- to fail to comply with or to contravene an environmental permit condition
- to fail to comply with the requirements of an enforcement notice, a suspension notice or a landfill closure notice
- to fail to comply with a notice requiring the provision of information, without reasonable excuse
- to recklessly make a statement which is false or misleading in a material particular, where the statement that is made is purported to prove compliance with the Regulations or for obtaining the grant, transfer or surrender of a permit
- intentionally to make a false entry in a record required to be kept under an environmental permit condition
- with intent to deceive, to forge or use a document that is required to prove compliance with a permit condition or to make or have in one’s possession a document so closely resembling such a document as to be likely to deceive
what are the principle requirements of Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 cover EU Directive 1999/31/EC
- landfill sites to be classified for hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste and inert waste
- there will be a ban on the landfilling of liquid wastes (but not slue=dges), also wastes that are explosive, corrosive, oxidising, flammable and highly flammable and clinical wastes which are infectious
- there will be an end to the practice of disposing of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes together
- prohibition from landfill of waste paper, metal, plastic or glass that has been collected separately to prepare it for reuse or recycling
explain the landfill; tax
originally introduced on all waste disposed of at permitted landfill sites. since extended to be chargeable on waste disposal at non-permitted/licensed sites such as those where illegal disposal of waste has occurred
what is the Environmental Bodies Credit Scheme>
set up to encourage landfill site operators in England NI to fund projects that benefit the environment. Similar schemes operate in other countries o=f the UK
what is an the definition of an obligated businesses under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007?
- in the packaging chain
- handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging material and.or packaging in a year
- having an annual turnover of more than £2million
how are businesses classified as being in the packaging chain?
if they:
- manufacture raw materials for packaging
- convert raw materials into packaging
- fill packaging (ie put goods or materials into packaging)
- sell packaged goods to the final user
- perform a ‘service’ provision
- import packaging/packaging materials/packaged goods into the UIK
what are the packaging materials that must be recovered or recycled
- aluminium
- glass
- paper
- cardboard
- plastic
- steel
- wood
how can companies provide evidence of their recycling responsibilities?
the specialist companies which arrange for recycling of packaging materials (Compliance Schemes) issue materials certificates (Packaging Recovery Notes - PRN’s) to provide evidence of the tonnage of each material handled.
what are the legal requirements of Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007?
companies must register with a Compliance Scheme
- or respond to data requests by the individual route
- companies must provide the Agencies or Compliance Schemes data on the quantity of each type of packaging material they are handling
what re the activities needed to be undertaken under the individual route for Compliance with the Packaging Regulations?
- registration with the regulator
- calculation of recycling targets
- submission of certificate of compliance
- purchasing PRN’s
- providing consumers with information regarding recycling (sellers only)
what are the offences to Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007?
- failure to register with the Agencies or to be a member of a Compliance Scheme
- failure to provide the required data
- failure to provide a certificate of compliance
- providing a false claim in a compliance certificate
- providing false evidence of recycling
- obstructing an Agency officer in carrying out his duties under the Regulations
what are the regulators requirements for Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2015?
- keeping weight and volume to a minimum
- manufacturing packaging so as to permit re-use or recovery
- setting of heavy metal limits for packaging
what is the Finance Act 2021?
introduced a tax on the import and production of plastic packaging
- applies to those organisations that manufacture or import 10 tonnes or greater of finished plastic packaging components within the last 12 months (1 April to 30 March) or will do so in the coming 30 days.
- refers to plastic with less then 30% recycled plastic
- charged at £200 per tonne
what is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (known as WEEE)
legislation for the producers who put Electrical and Electronic Equipment on the market to be responsible for
- financing the cost of collection
- treatment
- recovery
- environmentally sound diusposal
what equipment is included in WEEE?
- large household appliances
= small household appliances - IT and telecommunication equipment
- consumer equipment
what is DCF?
Designated Collection Facilities for the discarded EEE
what is the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012
reqyuires that new EEE put on the market must not contain more than the permissible maximum concentration values of hazardous substances
what are the key requirements of Producers responsibilities in relation to batteries?
- prohibit the use of cadmium and mercury above certain limits in batteries
- specific labelling to facilitate recycling
- appliances that use batteries are so designed that the batteries can easily be removed
- battery producers have to register with the regulator, join and finance a battery-compliance scheme
- portable-battery sellers have to take back waste portable batteries free-of-charge
what are the key requirements of Producers responsibilities in relation to End of Life Vehicles?
these laws apply to cars and vans below 3.5 tonnes
- registration of vehicle producers
- restriction of heavy metals used in manufacturing
- making of rubber and plastic components to aid recycling
- free take-back
- provision of accessible networks of authorised treatment facilities