Unit ED9: Solid and Liquid Wastes

Question 1

What is the Basic Definition of Waste?

Answer 1

Directive 91/156/EEC.

Waste is described as:
any substance or object which the holder discards, intends to discard, or is required
to discard

Question 2

List the Principal Categories of Waste

Answer 2

• Controlled Waste.
• Household Waste (Non-Hazardous).
• Clinical Waste
• Hazardous Waste.
• Radioactive Waste

Question 3

What is Controlled Waste.

Answer 3

Waste that is subject to the requirements of the EPA 1990 is known as controlled waste

Question 4

What is Clinical Waste.

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What is the Principal Categories of Liquid Waste Discharged to Municipal
Wastewater Treatment Plants

Answer 5

• Trade Effluent

- Special Category Effluent

Question 6

What is Trade Effluent

Answer 6

Wastewater from a trade process is known as ‘trade effluent’.

Question 7

What is Special Category Effluent

Answer 7

The Trade Effluents (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1989, as amended, specify a number of processes and substances as ‘Special Category’.

Question 8

What is the Definition of Hazardous Waste

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What are the Specific hazardous waste legal requirements

Answer 9

• Hazardous (England and Wales) Regulations 2005,
• the Special Waste Regulations 1996 (as
  amended) covering the requirements in Scotland.

Question 10

What is the Restriction of the Mixing of Wastes

Answer 10

It is an offence to mix hazardous wastes unless it is permitted as part of a disposal or
recovery operation.

Question 11

Explain the Consignment Note Arrangements for waste

Answer 11

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).

Question 12

What are the requirements for Returns and Records regarding hazardous waste

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Storage, Treatment and Disposal

What are the two types of environmental permits for waste

Answer 13

• Site licenses

- Mobile plant licenses

Question 14

What is a Site license for waste

Answer 14

Site permits are appropriate for the deposit of waste on land, in landfill sites.

Question 15

What are Mobile plant licenses for waste

Answer 15

Mobile plant permits relate to the treatment or disposal of waste using mobile plant.

Question 16

Which statutory law covers permits for waste

Answer 16

The permitting system is covered by the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016

Question 17

Before permits are granted for waste operations or waste installations, the Environment
Agency/Natural Resources Wales must take numerous issues into consideration such as

Answer 17

• Planning status of the site (waste installations only).

- Pollution of the environment and harm to health.

Question 18

There are a number of exempt activities that may be carried on without a waste operation
environmental permit.

Answer 18

• Exemptions in England and Wales are listed in Schedules 2 and 3 of the Environmental
  Permitting Regulations 2016.

Question 19

Offences for Waste Management

The main waste offences are contained in Section 33 of EPA 1990:

Answer 19

• 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).

Question 20

Under the Environmental Permitting Regulations the main offences are:

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

List the Waste Hierarchy

Answer 21

• prevention
• preparing for re-use
• recycling
• other recovery
• disposal

Question 22

The major potential problems concerned with landfill sites are:

Answer 22

• Landfill gas.
• Leachate
• nuisance

Question 23

Responsibilities under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007

The Regulations apply to businesses:

Answer 23

• 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.

Question 24

Businesses are classed as being in the packaging chain if they:

Answer 24

• 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.