Review of exemptions from environmental permitting

N.B. As of April 6, 2008, the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 (as amended) have been replaced by the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007.  There are no longer separate regulation regimes for waste management and PPC activities, with both being regulated by way of Environmental Permits.

Defra, the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly Government are undertaking a review of the exemptions from environmental permitting. The aim of the review is to provide a more risk-based and proportionate approach to the regulation of waste recovery and disposal operations, complementing the new environmental permitting regime.

The Government’s aim is to regulate in a way that minimises burdens on business, whilst securing outcomes which maximise resource efficiency and protect the environment and human health. To do this, we are taking a fundamental look at existing regulations, and identifying how they can be simplified. The scheme of exemptions have been cited as a key area for simplification and better regulation.

The majority of the current exemptions have been in place with little amendment since 1994. Some have become increasingly complex, creating anomalies around who benefits from an exemption and who doesn’t. There is also a need to develop new exemptions that take account of technical innovations and clarification of the definition of waste as a result of European case law. All of these factors have led to a need for a revised suite of exemptions that are part of a system of regulatory control that is proportionate to the environmental risk of the activities they relate to.

For this review to be successful it is vital that we engage thoroughly and in the most effective way with stakeholders, so that we can ensure that policy development reflects your needs as well as government policy.

Consultation on draft Environmental Permitting Guidance – exempt waste operations

We are currently seeking comments on draft Environmental Permitting Guidance on exempt waste operations, which can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/waste-exemption-review-guidance/index.htm

This consultation commenced on 14 October 2009 and will end on 5 January 2010.

Consultation on revised waste exemptions from environmental permitting

The consultation on revised waste exemptions from environmental permitting took place between 31 July 2008 and 23 October 2009 and consisted of a consultation document, a draft set of revised regulations and a Partial Impact Assessment covering revisions to the exemptions from environmental permitting. This consultation has closed.

We received 285 responses to the consultation and the summary of responses to the consultation, including the Government's response, has been published on the consultation pages.

Informal Consultation

The informal consultation, seeking comment on the proposals and criteria for exemptions underpinning the review, and other requirements for exempt waste operations took place in 2007. A full summary of the responses to the informal consultation, and an executive summary are published below.

Contacts

Email: exemptions@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Further information

Page last modified: 15 October 2009
Page published: 12 January 2007