A consultation on revised waste exemptions from environmental permitting

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Area 6D,
Ergon House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Telephone 020 7238 4352
Email exemptions@defra.gsi.gov.uk

31st July 2008

Dear Consultee,

A consultation on revised waste exemptions from environmental permitting

I am writing to invite views by Thursday 23rd October 2008 on the enclosed consultation pack on revised exemptions from environmental permitting.

The consultation consists of a consultation document and a Partial Impact Assessment covering revisions to the exemptions from environmental permitting. A draft set of revised regulations is also included in Annex 2 of the consultation document. I would welcome your responses on the specific questions that are asked in the body of the consultation document, and would be particularly interested in any comments you have on the estimated costs and benefits that are included in the Partial Impact Assessment.

The consultation paper is being sent to a wide range of organisations. A list of those organisations, and the full consultation paper, can be seen on the Defra website, at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/waste-exemption-review/. If you think that there is anyone that should be included that is not on this list, please let us know.

Please return comments, preferably by email, to:

By email:
exemptions@defra.gsi.gov.uk

By post:
Exemptions Review Team
Waste Permitting Unit
Defra
Area 6D, Ergon House
c/o 17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

If you have any queries relating to this consultation please email via the addresses above or call 020 7238 4352

For your convenience a list of the full proposals and other specific questions asked throughout the document is provided in section 7 of the consultation document.  The Government welcomes your response to this consultation in any form.  However, your response can be processed more efficiently if, when answering specific consultation questions, your response is clearly marked with the proposal / question numbers.  To help put your response in context, you are also encouraged to indicate who you are and how many operators or others you represent, and who they are.

Comments must be returned to Defra by 23 October 2008

Consultees should note that it may not be possible to consider responses that arrive after the deadline.

In line with Defra’s policy on openness, copies of the responses we receive may be made publicly available through the Defra Information Resource Centre, Lower Ground Floor, Ergon House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR at the end of the consultation period. The information they contain may also be published in a summary of responses.

If you do not want your response to be made public, you must clearly request that your response be treated confidentially. Any confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system in e-mail responses will not be treated as such a request. You should also be aware that there may be circumstances in which Defra will be required to communicate information to third parties on request, in order to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations.

The Information Resource Centre will supply copies of consultation responses to personal callers or in response to telephone or email requests (tel: 020 7238 6575, or email defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk). Wherever possible personal callers should give the library at least 24 hours notice of their requirements. An administrative charge will be made to cover photocopying and postage costs.

The responses to this consultation will be published by Defra (www.defra.gov.uk) and by WAG (www.countryside.wales.gov.uk).  Each response will be considered. Policy decisions will subsequently be taken on how the proposals within this consultation package should be reassessed in light of responses received.

The new scheme of exemptions from environmental permits is due to be implemented in October 2009.  It is proposed that a transitional period will occur after the implementation date to, amongst other things, allow reasonable time periods for operators to take informed judgements about the options that are open to their business; and to take, if applicable, the necessary steps to comply with the new regulatory requirements.  Further detail on the proposed transitional arrangements can be found in the consultation document.

The consultation is being conducted in line with the Code of Practice on Consultation in Annex 4. The full version can be accessed at: http://bre.berr.gov.uk/regulation/consultation/code/index.asp

Comments or complaints about the consultation process (as opposed to comments on the issues which are the subject of the consultation) should be addressed to:

Marjorie Addo
Defra’s Consultation Co-ordinator
Area 7C Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

Email:  consultation.coordinator@defra.gsi.gov.uk

I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,  

John Galvin
Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs

Page published: 31 July 2008