Landfill operators are issued with conditioning plans rules

The
packs – which also include guidance on completing the form – are being
delivered to site operators now. The completed form and any necessary
attachments will constitute the conditioning plan for a landfill site.

The conditioning plan must include details of the site and of any
corrective measures that the operator is intending to provide to meet the
requirements of the Directive. The Agency is running a series of workshops
around the country to help operators understand how to complete their
conditioning plans. Details of these events are included in the pack.

It is likely to be a criminal offence to continue to accept waste for
disposal at a landfill after July 16 2002 unless the operator has submitted
a conditioning plan. The Agency is issuing the form and guidance now, in
advance of the Landfill Regulations, to allow operators to prepare their
conditioning plan within this time scale.

The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says it supports the Agency in this initiative and urges landfill operators to “make the most of the time available before July to prepare conditioningplans.” In July 2001, the Environment Agency wrote to operators of landfill sites explaining that, under the requirements of the new Landfill Directive, if their sites were to continue operating after July 16 2002 they would need to start preparing Conditioning Plans for their landfills.

The Landfill Directive sets out new operational and technical requirements for disposal of waste by landfill and Landfill Regulations are being prepared by DEFRA.