B8.9 Continued (3)…
Exemptions
Certain activities are exempt from environmental permitting. This means that you must register an exemption, it does not mean that the legislation does not apply.
When you register an exemption there may be specific conditions that you must comply with.
However, you do not need to register an exemption if you are carrying out a waste operation covered by a Non-Waste Framework Directive (NWFD) exemption or if you rely on a radioactive substances exemption order for your radioactive substances activity.
Exempt water discharge activity.
An exempt water discharge activity must:
- Not be carried out as part of any other regulated facility, ie it is a stand alone water discharge activity.
- Be described in Schedule 3 Part 2 regulations.
- Be registered and meet certain conditions.
- Not pollute any freshwater river, stream, watercourse, reservoir, canal, ditch, lake or pond, coastal water, estuary or territorial waters.
Exempt water discharge activities include:
- Cutting or uprooting large amounts of vegetation in or nearby any inland freshwaters (freshwater river, stream, watercourse, reservoir, canal, ditch, lake or pond). This exemption must be registered by the operator of the activity.
- Discharging 5 cubic metres or less per day of sewage effluent from a small sewage treatment plant into any inland freshwaters, coastal water, estuary or territorial water, if you meet specific conditions. This exemption must be registered by the occupier of the premises where the activity takes place.
Exempt groundwater activity.
An exempt groundwater activity must:
- Not be carried out as part of any other regulated facility, ie it is a stand alone groundwater activity.
- Be described in Schedule 3 Part 3 of the regulations.
- Be registered and meet certain conditions.
- Not pollute groundwater.
Exempt groundwater activities include:
- Discharging small quantities of substances for scientific purposes as part of a groundwater remediation scheme or groundwater tracer test. This exemption must be registered by the operator of the activity.
- Discharging 2 cubic metres or less per day of sewage effluent from a septic tank or sewage treatment plant into groundwater. This exemption must be registered by the occupier of the premises where the activity takes place.
Non-Waste Framework Directive exemption.
You do not need to register a Non-Waste Framework Directive (NWFD) exemption with the Environment Agency. NWFD exemptions must meet the description and conditions set out in Part 3, Schedule 25 of the regulations.
NWFD exemptions include:
- Storing waste temporarily for collection at the place it was produced as long as you store it in a secure place for 12 months or less.
- Storing waste temporarily for collection at a place controlled by the waste producer as long as you meet certain conditions.
- Storing waste temporarily where the waste is to be collected for recovery or disposal at another place, known as a collection point, as long as you meet certain conditions.
These exemptions also include treating waste, for example compacting or shredding waste, as long as the treatment does not change the physical, chemical or biological nature of the waste.
Further information is available from the Environment Agency.
Information on Waste Exemptions is contained within Module B3 Waste.