Waste management licences and pollution prevention controls are set to be restructured to cut the cost and burden of red tape for businesses, the Government have announced with the publication of the draft Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007. A single environmental permit will be introduced in April 2008, which will be less than a third of the size of previous regulatory documents. Under the new provisions, which we first reported back in the March and November 2006 Monthly Bulletins, around 40 separate legal instruments will be combined into a single set of regulations. It is estimated that this streamlining will save industry and regulators £76 million over 10 years.
When the new system comes into effect all existing waste management licensing and pollution control permits will automatically become environmental permits. Outstanding applications will become environmental permits if the application is successful. A new standard rules permit will also be introduced for lower risk waste activities. As a result, the system of waste management licensing established under Part 2 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 will be replaced, along with the Waste Management Licensing Regulations SI 1994/1056 and the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations SI 2000/1973.
Environment Minister Joan Ruddock commented, "This is a very welcome common sense move. It will increase the clarity and cut the administrative burden for a number of organisations without compromising the existing high standards of protection for the environment and human health. Cutting red tape also means regulators will be able to spend more time pursuing the minority of operators who deliberately flout the rules."
