Eighty-one percent of members of the hazardous waste forum voted that in the event of a gap between directives limiting disposal options for hazardous waste, and the emergence of appropriate treatment options, emergency plans should be a “high priority”.
The Forum, which represents government, the Agency and businesses, voted on a number of proposed actions in a questionnaire circulated before its last meeting on September 30, 2003.
Sixty-nine percent also said it was a “high priority” to prepare a statement of national needs for hazardous waste treatment and disposal capacity in the short and long term. And 76% thought a programme focusing on the practical and financial impacts of hazardous waste management for businesses was urgently needed.
Stakeholders were also in favour of providing clarity “as soon as possible” on the extent and timing of forthcoming changes to hazardous waste legislation, and supported the idea that government should speed up a decision on the implementation date for the Waste Acceptance Criteria, which DEFRA recently began consulting on
(see letsrecycle.com story).
But 59% thought it was “less important” to encourage businesses to communicate “pro-actively” with the public about their hazardous waste production and management.
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