Environmental guidance for your business in Northern Ireland & Scotland
The Mining Waste Directive (MWD) brings in new requirements for managing extractive waste at mines and quarries, including a requirement for waste management plans (WMP).
This guidance applies to all mines or quarries in the UK that are required to have a WMP.
A WMP is a document that explains how you will minimise, treat, recover and dispose of extractive waste at your mine or quarry.
In most cases, you will need to prepare a WMP and comply with its terms if you have an extractive waste area or extractive waste facility.
You do not need a WMP if an exemption applies to your mine or quarry or your mine or quarry does not produce extractive waste. You will need to submit a waste management statement to confirm this. For example, you can submit a waste management statement for:
If your extractive waste area was in operation on 1 April 2010 you must have produced a waste management plan by 1 May 2012 to continue your operations.
Your WMP must explain how you will manage extractive waste at your site, including:
See our guidance on closing your mine or quarry.
You may be able to refer to existing plans or documents in your WMP if they meet some or all of the above requirements, such as documents you prepared under the Quarries Regulations 1999.
You must review your WMP:
You must tell your regulator about any changes you make to your WMP.
To find out more about the MWD requirements, see our guidance on managing extractive waste.
EU: BREF - Management of tailings and waste rock in mining operations
Northern Ireland DOE Planning: Mining waste management plans
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency has published a short guide to the duty of care responsibilities including advice and information for waste producers, carriers and those accepting, storing and treating waste.
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/waste-duty-care-responsibilities
Any person intending to alter the use or management of areas of uncultivated or semi-natural land must obtain prior approval from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
Read more on the DAERA website
The NetRegs team at SEPA, in partnership with The Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and a number of industry bodies have produced 9 new GPPs to replace out of date PPGs. More are coming! Check the available topics
New guidance for Start-ups, charities and community projects
http://www.netregs.org.uk/environmental-topics/environmental-management/first-steps-guidance-for-new-starts-projects-and-charities/
View our latest videos & subscribe to our channel.
Free monthly email newsletter with environmental updates for Northern Ireland and Scotland