Escape from EP

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published a consultation inviting views on the structure and content of draft environmental permitting guidance for exempt waste operations. The draft is the latest publication in DEFRA's ongoing review of waste exemptions from environmental permitting, which began in 2008.

Overall the review aims to create a proportionate system whereby waste recovery and disposal operations are assessed by the risk they pose to the environment. This concept ties in with an aim to encourage low risk waste recovery operations by granting exemptions from the existing Regulations. It is intended the new draft guidance will accompany the proposed Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010, which will include a new Schedule 2, 3 and 3A, and will provide further guidance in addition to the Environmental Permitting Core Guidance. It is therefore a stand-alone document, aimed solely at further explaining the requirements for exempt waste operations.

It will therefore particularly affect:

• those who are currently registered for an exemption from the need for an environmental permit;
• those who are currently operating under Environment Agency low risk positions;
• those who produce or take waste to sites operating under an exemption;
• and the wider waste management industry.

The consultation is open for 12 weeks, and depending on the responses received, the new scheme of exemptions from environmental permits is due to come into force in April 2010.