Natural Resources Wales and local authorities in Wales have been given new powers to help tackle illegal activity in the waste sector.
Following a plenary debate earlier this week, the National Assembly for Wales approved The Waste Enforcement (England and Wales) Regulations 2018. These regulations are part of a range of measures aimed at tackling waste crime and poor performing waste sites in Wales.
The Welsh Government has announced new powers to tackle waste crime
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) will now be able to act quicker at problematic waste sites, the Welsh Government says, with the power to lock the gates to stop more waste entering sites in order to prevent a risk of serious pollution or to stop pollution from continuing.
Meanwhile, to reduce the impact of abandoned waste, NRW and local authorities will also have the powers widened to take action on occupiers and landowners requiring them to remove waste unlawfully present on a site. This will be regardless of whether they were originally deposited lawfully under a permit or exemption, the Welsh Government said.
Permit
Despite noting that most of the waste industry operates responsibly, the Welsh Government explained that there are a small number of operators whose activities fail to meet the required standards of their permit exemptions, or operate illegally with no permit or exemption in place.
According to the Welsh Government, this illegal activity is estimated to cost the Welsh economy up to £32m per year.
“These sites can cause pollution to the environment and endanger human health. They pose a risk of fire, water pollution and cause other issues such as odour, litter and fly infestations which affect surrounding communities,” the Welsh Government notes.
Commenting on the announcement, Welsh minister for environment, Hannah Blythyn said: “We have worked with NRW to identify what more can be done to prevent problematic and abandoned waste sites and I have listened to the views of industry”.
“These new powers to take action against illegal waste operators will create a level playing field and help ensure operators who comply with the rules do not lose out to those who undermine and undercut the law-abiding majority.”
Hannah Blythyn
National Assembly for Wales
“These regulations provide two new powers. The first will enable NRW to restrict access to a waste site to stop more waste coming on the site while the second gives NRW and Local Authorities the ability to serve a notice on an occupier or land owner requiring them to take action to remove wastes unlawfully present.”
“These new powers to take action against illegal waste operators will create a level playing field and help ensure operators who comply with the rules do not lose out to those who undermine and undercut the law-abiding majority.”
‘Invaluable weapon’
Ceri Davies, NRW’s Executive director for evidence, policy and permitting said the new powers will be an “invaluable weapon” in the fight against waste crime.
“Unscrupulous operators pose a threat to the environment, the health and wellbeing of the communities in which they operate and undermine the Welsh economy,” she said.
“But now, thanks to the new regulations, we will be able to deal with them more effectively and reduce the impact of their illegal activity.”
The post New powers to tackle waste crime in Wales appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
