The Environment Agency has issued new guidance which removes the requirement for environmental permit in a number of waste operation activities, including grit washings from sewage treatment works, cement and silt washings at construction sites and road sweeping waste from building sites.
Businesses and organisations which follow the conditions set out in a range of Low Risk Waste Positions (LRWP) can carry out the activity without the need for an environmental permit for a waste operation.
Conditions which must be complied with for operators who undertake dewater and clean grit washings from sewage treatment works for construction and maintenance works on sites owned or occupied by the sewage undertaker are:
They must only:
- dewater grit washings within the curtilage of a sewage treatment works
- dewater grit washings from sewage treatment works on impermeable pavement with sealed drainage
- clean grit washings from sewage treatment works if they are to be used in construction and maintenance works on sites owned or occupied by the sewage undertaker
Activities can be undertaken via LRWPs in a number of sectors on the basis that they do not:
- endanger human health or the environment.
- cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals
- cause a nuisance through noise or odours
- adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest
Operators reusing wash waters and treating cement and silt washings at construction sites are allowed to treat and reuse the following under the LRWP, with treatment limited to physical dewatering only:
- concrete wash waters
- cement fines from storing wash waters
- silt laden wash waters and silt
For storing, screening and dewatering road sweeping waste from building sites, the LRWP stipulates operators must:
- only screen and dewater road sweeping waste from building sites
- store no more than 12 tonnes of road sweeping waste at any one time
- only store road sweeping waste for up to 1 month
- screen and dewater no more than 30 tonnes of road sweeping waste over any 7 day period
- store, screen and dewater the road sweeping waste in a secure place on an impermeable surface with secondary containment
Sectors where LRWPs are in place means that The Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action provided that activities carried out by operators comply with the conditions and meet the description set out in the relevant LRWP.
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