Financial Provision for Landfill Consultation Outcome Published
The Environment Agency (EA) has published the outcome of the September 2004 consultation setting out proposals for a change in the policy relating to the ‘financial provision’ requirement at landfill sites.
The Landfill Directive requires landfill operators to prove that they can fund the obligations of their permit and any obligations that may arise should the landfill close, before they start operating. The EA ensures that the monitoring, management and maintenance of the landfill is properly regulated under the permit, and that any obligations continue to be funded should the site close. Current financial provision mechanisms pay funds to the EA if an operator cannot meet the terms of their permit.
Following the consultation, the EA has deferred its originally proposed implementation date of 1st January 2005 to allow time for further consideration of the responses. It has decided that the policy will not be implemented in full until landfill re-permitting (under Pollution Prevention and Control legislation) has been completed in 2007. Until then, operators will have the choice of entering into new arrangements that meet the policy objectives.
After 2007, the EA will implement the policy when there are fresh applications and individual permits of operational sites are reviewed. Financial provision arrangements of landfill sites which have closed under a waste management licence will not be revisited, other than on application to transfer those licences.
The report on the consultation outcome can be found at:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/outcome_1283363.pdf
Source: www.environment-agency.gov.uk (accessed 14/03/06)
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