The group of government, Environment Agency and business representatives has invited comments on a detailed plan of action in the form of a questionnaire sent out to hazardous waste stakeholders.
Contingency plan
The draft action plan includes a suggestion that DEFRA and the Agency draw up a contingency plan “in the event of a hiatus between the enforcement of relevant Directives and the provision of appropriate management options”. These plans could include stockpiling or authorisation for temporary exports to mainland Europe or seeking certain derogations on specific parts of the Landfill Directive.
This plan would be complemented by a statement of national needs for hazardous waste treatment and disposal capacity and a task force to review progress on provision of short-term capacity. The HWF questionnaire commented: “Either the HWF itself, or a task force established for the purpose, needs to monitor progress closely, and take corrective action if anticipated milestones are not being achieved.”
The questionnaire also asked for opinions on whether the waste management industry should be charged with providing clear guidance to clients on what is acceptable in terms of segregation, management and treatment of hazardous waste. There has been debate over whether this task should be left to other parts of the action plan, such as the recommendation for a co-ordinated information programme on hazardous waste management for businesses.
Objectives
The action plan has six main objectives:
- 1. To provide a clear framework for hazardous waste management, including both unambiguous legislative requirements and a balanced strategy to encourage compliance.
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2. To provide clear, consistent and transparent implementation, inspection and enforcement of the hazardous waste control system.
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3.To raise awareness of hazardous waste management, in business, industry and among the general public. To ensure that reliable and consistent data on hazardous wastes are available on a regular basis.
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4. To minimise the quantities and degree of hazard of hazardous wastes being produced, and to encourage their reuse and recycling.
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5. To ensure the provision of the treatment and disposal facilities required to meet the new legislative requirements, in both the short and the long-term.
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6. To reduce the environmental impact of household hazardous wastes.
Stephen Horrax of DEFRA's Hazardous Waste Policy unit said: “It is generally agreed that the document has a relatively large number of recommendations set against specific objectives drawn out of discussions in the Forum and the working groups. We would essentially like to prioritise these recommendations into those that are key and should be undertaken within the next 12 months.”
Other specific aims include more government clarity on the extent and timing of forthcoming legislation and the implementation date of the waste acceptance criteria, a consultation on extending regulatory controls to hazardous waste producers and further work on economic incentives to minimise hazardous waste.
The second draft of the action plan, incorporating comments, will be put to the HWF by 23 September 2003 in time for its next meeting.
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