Up-to-date information on the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR). Highlights include:
We are updating our application form, guidance and systems to cover the following activities coming in under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) 2010:
- water discharge consents;
- groundwater permits;
- radioactive substances permits.
As our new documents are completed we will make them available on the following page:
We our currently revising our documents and systems to cover additional activities coming under the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
We would welcome your comments on these documents. You can read them on the following page:
Our consultation on the revised H1 environmental risk assessment guidance is now closed.
The guidance gives detail on how to assess health and environmental risks when applying for a bespoke permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR).
We are revising the March 2008 version of the H1 guidance to include the following activities being brought into the EPR in April 2010:
- water discharge consents;
- groundwater authorisations.
You can view the consultation documents on the following page:
We will also publish a report on the consultation feedback on our web pages shortly. We will consider all the consultation responses before publishing the final guidance later this year.
Our fourth consultation on new and revised sets of rules for standard permits closed at midnight on 27 November 2009. You can view the consultation documents on the following page:
The four proposed new rules sets cover:
- The keeping or use of Category 5 sealed radioactive sources (new rules set).
- The discharge to surface water of water from a cooling circuit or heat exchanger (new rules set).
- The discharge to surface water of secondary treated domestic sewage (5-20 cubic metres per day) (new rules set).
- The discharge to land of enzyme treated sheep dip.
We will consider all responses before publishing the final standard rules and generic risk assessments.
We will also publish a report on the consultation feedback.
Revisions to existing standard rules
Following our third and fourth consultations on new and revised standard rules sets, we will be publishing revised standard rules sets for metal recycling sites, composting in open windrows and composting in closed vessels on 26 April 2010.
Please refer to the standard permits web page and follow the links to the standard rules sets for further information:
We will also be making a number of minor administrative changes to all existing standard rules sets. The revised rules sets will also be published on 26 April 2010.
The key administrative changes we will be making are as follows:
- the management rules will be revised to make them clearer to operators;
- accident management plans will be incorporated into the management rules;
- the term 'fugitive emissions' will be replaced with a term that will be clearer for the wider range of activities that we will be permitting under the Regulations in the future;
- the rules covering where records must be held will be amended to make it more flexible; to implement the requirements of the Batteries Directive, we will be amending all sets of standard rules that allow waste batteries to be accepted for treatment.
The proposed Environmental Permitting Regulations (2010) provide the Environment Agency with the opportunity to introduce a more simple standard rules permit for the discharge of enzyme treated sheep dip to land. We intend to launch the permit, subject to final approval, as soon as sufficient stock of an acceptable enzyme treatment product becomes available. Please follow the link below for further information:
In July 2009, a second waste technical competence scheme received ministerial approval. The scheme, provided jointly by the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and EU Skills, is radically different in approach from the existing Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM)/Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board (WAMITAB) scheme.
The ESA/EU skills scheme is based on ‘corporate competence’ rather than individual competence that involves implementation of a management system confirmed by annual independent audit.
Further details of the two schemes can be found at:
We have produced a set of frequently asked questions to help you understand how these changes affect you:
