The Environment Agency is to press ahead with planned amendments to some of the rules for standard permits issued under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.
The changes relate to five sets of proposals covering: asbestos waste transfer operations; fire prevention plans for sites storing combustible wastes; civic amenity sites and metal recycling facilities; metal recycling and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) treatment activities; and amendments to 12 rules required by the introduction of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).
The agency said it would implement the proposals set out in the consultation, which ended in March 2015. However, it may consult further on provisions relating to the processing of incinerator bottom ash (IBA) and pulverised fuel ash (PFA) required by the IED after some respondents said the proposals favoured IBA. The agency said it was willing to consider a specific standard rules permit to cover PFA if there was enough demand, and industry was prepared to contribute to its development.
All respondents supported the proposal for a fire prevention plan, which is aimed at reducing the number of fires at waste sites. The agency said a new condition would be inserted into 21 sets of standard rules that deal with combustible wastes to bring in this requirement. Limits will also be set on storage time for some waste.
Changes to rules governing asbestos waste include allowing larger waste items to be received wrapped by waste site operations. The agency said the proposals covering metal recycling and WEEE treatment activities would proceed as planned, although it would also adopt minor points of clarification raised by consultation respondents.
