Scottish waste management legislation is undergoing a major shake-up, after it was revealed this month that illegal dumping in Scotland is costing up to £262,000 to clear up every month. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Scottish Executive have launched a three month consultation, which urges all those involved with waste to share their views on possible changes to waste licensing and exemption laws. It could see SEPA moving towards a risk-based regulatory system where resources would be targeted towards tackling the worst environmental offenders with the highest priority. The "Better Regulation of Waste" consultation will close on 22 June 2007, and aims to cut red tape and simplify existing Regulations to benefit those who do operate responsibly.
Ross Finnie, Scotland's environment minister said, "Controlling the way we deal with waste is essential to protect human health and the environment. Regulatory controls on how we handle and dispose of waste are necessary, but to be fully effective they must be clear and concise. We have already improved and refined the existing regulatory regime, but we are aware that the complex nature of some of the legislation is a note of frustration for sections of the waste industry."
The consultation does not cover pollution prevention and control issues, but does look at waste management licensing and exemptions. For those companies that are fully licensed it suggests "relaxing" the requirement of annual inspections by SEPA officers, so that inspectors can target the most serious environmental criminals.
