Environment Minister, Joan Ruddock has announced that the system of exemptions under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations SI 2007/3538 will be simplified, in order to reduce red tape and increase waste recovery and recycling. The proposals aim to maintain environmental protection levels and save businesses money.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Welsh Assembly Government and the Environment Agency are reviewing which waste handling businesses can operate under exemptions, and which require a permit. It is proposed that the current list of exemptions, which now span to more than 50 separate activities, be replaced with exemptions categorised under the broad headings of use, treatment, disposal and storage at the place of production.
Also it is planned that the application of exemptions will be widened so as to apply to low risk activities and that the number of exemptions available for higher risk waste operations will be reduced. Further, notifiable exemptions will be phased out.
Simple exemptions may no longer apply indefinitely, with a three yearly registration period being introduced. Charges for registration of each exempt site and quantity limits for all exemptions are also being considered.
It is anticipated that, once introduced, the draft Regulations will be implemented by Autumn 2009, followed by a three year transitional period to allow operators to comply with the revisions.
