B8.9 Continued (2)…
5. Radioactive Substances Activity
A radioactive substances activity includes:
- keeping or using radioactive material at premises
- disposing of radioactive waste on or from premises
- accumulating radioactive waste on premises
- receiving radioactive waste for disposal
- keeping or using mobile radioactive apparatus for certain purposes.
You do not need an environmental permit if your activities are excluded or an exemption order applies to your radioactive source or radioactive waste under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. Exemption orders are being reviewed and are expected to be brought into environmental permitting in 2011.
6. Water Discharge Activity
A water discharge activity includes:
- discharging poisonous, noxious or polluting matter, waste matter, trade effluent or sewage effluent into inland freshwaters (freshwater rivers, streams, watercourses, reservoirs, canals, ditches, lakes or ponds), coastal waters, estuaries or territorial waters
- discharging trade effluent or sewage effluent by a pipe from land into the sea
- removing material from the bottom, bed or channel of any inland freshwaters that has built up from a dam, weir or sluice, if you cause any of that material to be carried away in the water
- cutting or uprooting large amounts of vegetation in or nearby any inland freshwaters if you do not take reasonable steps to remove the vegetation from the water
- other activities that your regulator tells you that you will need an environmental permit for, such as a discharge from a highway drain.
Water discharge activities can be carried out:
- by themselves as a stand alone water discharge activity, or
- as part of another regulated facility, such as an installation or mining waste operation.
7. Groundwater Activity
A groundwater activity includes:
- discharging a pollutant directly into groundwater
- discharging a pollutant that might indirectly enter groundwater
- any other discharge that might cause a pollutant to directly or indirectly enter groundwater
- other activities if you have received a notice from your regulator that tells you to hold an environmental permit for that activity, such as a notice for a discharge from a highway drain.
Groundwater means all water that is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil, ie water that is below the water table.
Groundwater activities can be carried out:
- by themselves as a stand alone groundwater activity, or
- as part of another regulated facility, such as an installation or mining waste operation.