REVIEW OF WASTE MANAGEMENT LICENSING EXEMPTIONS

A joint consultation paper has been issued from DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly. The consultation aims to encourage genuine waste recovery operations whilst preventing abuse and ensuring protection of the environment and health. Six of the current exemptions are being consulted upon with payments of fees to be introduced to allow the Environment Agency to recover costs for the regulation of exempt sites. Greater information provision and more specific waste types that will be allowed to be recovered under an exemption, are also consulted upon. See www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/wastemanlicence/index.htm

The Scottish Executive have also issued a consultation paper upon exemptions see www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/environment/pawmr-02.asp

WRAP RECYCLING EQUITY FUND

WRAP has launched a £5.5 million fund for the recycling sector. The fund will be available for suitable small and medium sized enterprises at an early stage in their development. WRAP hope that the fund will help stimulate further funding from the private sector into recycling, although they will not require companies seeking funding to require match funding. See www.wrap.org.uk/news_detail.asp?NewsID=291

TIGHTENING ON AGRICULTURAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

It is anticipated that the introduction of waste management controls for agricultural waste will be brought in by early 2004. DEFRA has issued a short briefing note on what these controls will mean for the agricultural sector, including the end to uncontrolled burying and burning of wastes on farms. For the briefing see www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/topics/agwaste.htm for further information on agricultural waste see the Agricultural waste forum site see www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/agforum/index.htm or netregs www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/

SEPA have also been active on the agricultural waste front issuing a landfill site conditioning plan for those who wish to continue operating an agricultural waste landfill post July 1st 2003. See    www.sepa.org.uk/guidance/landfill_directive/Agricultural_Landfill_Site_Conditioning_Plan_Form.pdf

EU CONTROL PROCEDURES FOR SHIPMENTS OF WASTE

The European Commission is proposing a revision to the waste shipment regulations. New provisions would see prior written notification and consent for all shipments of waste destined for disposal and for hazardous and semi-hazardous wastes destined for recovery. Shipments will have to be controlled all the way to final recovery or disposal and proof of this required before the shipment is released from the regimes control. See www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/shipments/index.htm

TACKLING WASTE REDUCTION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN WALES

The Welsh Assembly Government has issued guidance to help the public sector in reducing its waste. The guidance document, The Wales Public Sector Sustainable Waste Management guidance manual will help the public sector in achieving targets set in the national strategy for Wales, Wise about Waste. The guidance will shortly appear at www.wales.gov.uk/servlet/www.wales.gov.uk/subienvironment/toc-e.htm

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE AMMEND LANDFILL REGULATIONS

The Scottish Parliament has amended the existing landfill (Scotland) regulations 2003, to allow for the prosecution against partnerships rather than just an individual member of a partnership. The definition of waste will also be changed so that it refers to the European Waste Catalogue codes.
See www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/2003/06/SEen446.aspx the amendments should also be available at www.hmso.gov.uk at a later date.

FURTHER FUNDING FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES

DEFRA has announced that London local authorities will receive an extra £3.6 million in funding. The money will come from landfill tax. A number of local authorities who narrowly missed out on receiving funding from the second round of the £140 million waste minimisation and recycling fund in principle, are to be offered funding for schemes. See www.defra.gov.uk/news/2003/030704a.htm

PACKAGING NEWS

The Environment Agency has revealed that average fines for companies not recycling or recovering sufficient packaging waste has risen by 17% See www.letsrecycle.com/news/news.jsp?story=2388. Meanwhile the European Parliament has decided that the next set of targets for recovery and recycling of packaging waste will be for 2008 and not 2006 as some had proposed.
See www.letsrecycle.com/news/news.jsp?story=2390

PRESIDENTS CHARITY GOLF DAY

The annual Presidents charity golf day will take place on Wednesday 24th September 2003 at Hawkstone Park.  Entry Fee £310 per team of 4 includes lunch and evening prize giving dinner. This year's president's charity will be Cancer Research UK.  For more details and entry form contact mary.greaves@ciwm.co.uk

LATEST BEST VALUE INSPECTION REPORTS PUBLISHED BY AUDIT COMMISSION

Below are relevant waste management related Best Value reports (derived from info4local.gov.uk & Best Value Inspections site) published by the Audit Commission last week:~

Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council ~ Environment ~ 2003
www.info4local.gov.uk/searchreport.asp?id=15767&frompage=subjects&subject=11