Unit ED9: Solid and Liquid Wastes Flashcards
What is the Basic Definition of Waste?
Directive 91/156/EEC.
Waste is described as:
any substance or object which the holder discards, intends to discard, or is required
to discard
List the Principal Categories of Waste
- Controlled Waste.
- Household Waste (Non-Hazardous).
- Clinical Waste
- Hazardous Waste.
- Radioactive Waste
What is Controlled Waste.
Waste that is subject to the requirements of the EPA 1990 is known as controlled waste
What is Clinical Waste.
This is defined in the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 as: waste from a healthcare activity (including veterinary healthcare) and waste of a similar nature from a non-healthcare activity
What is the Principal Categories of Liquid Waste Discharged to Municipal
Wastewater Treatment Plants
- Trade Effluent
- Special Category Effluent
What is Trade Effluent
Wastewater from a trade process is known as ‘trade effluent’.
What is Special Category Effluent
The Trade Effluents (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1989, as amended, specify a number of processes and substances as ‘Special Category’.
What is the Definition of Hazardous Waste
A waste may be hazardous if it is listed as a “hazardous waste” in the annex to the
List of Wastes Decision (2000/532/EC), often known as the European Waste
Catalogue
What are the Specific hazardous waste legal requirements
- Hazardous (England and Wales) Regulations 2005,
- the Special Waste Regulations 1996 (as
amended) covering the requirements in Scotland.
What is the Restriction of the Mixing of Wastes
It is an offence to mix hazardous wastes unless it is permitted as part of a disposal or
recovery operation.
Explain the Consignment Note Arrangements for waste
The movement of hazardous waste requires consignment notes to be completed
whenever hazardous waste is removed from premises (which includes removal from
ships and removal by pipeline).
What are the requirements for Returns and Records regarding hazardous waste
Producers, holders, carriers, consignors and consignees are required to keep records.
These must be kept for a minimum of three years, except in the case of carriers where
the period is 12 months
Storage, Treatment and Disposal
What are the two types of environmental permits for waste
- Site licenses
- Mobile plant licenses
What is a Site license for waste
Site permits are appropriate for the deposit of waste on land, in landfill sites.
What are Mobile plant licenses for waste
Mobile plant permits relate to the treatment or disposal of waste using mobile plant.
Which statutory law covers permits for waste
The permitting system is covered by the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016
Before permits are granted for waste operations or waste installations, the Environment
Agency/Natural Resources Wales must take numerous issues into consideration such as
- Planning status of the site (waste installations only).
- Pollution of the environment and harm to health.
There are a number of exempt activities that may be carried on without a waste operation
environmental permit.
- Exemptions in England and Wales are listed in Schedules 2 and 3 of the Environmental
Permitting Regulations 2016.
Offences for Waste Management
The main waste offences are contained in Section 33 of EPA 1990:
- To deposit (directive) waste in or on land, temporarily or permanently, except in
accordance with the conditions of a current environmental 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 activities
- To treat, keep or dispose of (directive) waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of
the environment or harm to human health (whatever the licensing arrangements).
Under the Environmental Permitting Regulations the main offences are:
- To contravene, or knowingly cause or knowingly permit the contravention of
Regulation 12 - 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
- 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 o
List the Waste Hierarchy
- prevention
- preparing for re-use
- recycling
- other recovery
- disposal
The major potential problems concerned with landfill sites are:
- Landfill gas.
- Leachate
- nuisance
Responsibilities under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007
The Regulations apply to businesses:
- In the packaging chain.
- Handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging material and/or packaging in a year.
- Having an annual turnover of over £2 million.
Businesses are classed as being in the packaging chain if they:
- Manufacture raw materials for packaging.
- Convert raw materials into packaging.
- Fill packaging (i.e. put goods or products into packaging).
- Sell packaged goods to the final user.
- Perform a ‘service’ provision.
- Import packaging/packaging materials/packaged goods into the UK.
