Incineration directive to become law in UK by end of year

But, the association considers it will not affect future design of plants.

The EWA said it considers that all new developments are being designed to the strictest standards and that existing plants already comply with the Environment Agency's emissions standards, which are more stringent than those in the Incineration Directive.

The text of the incineration of waste directive was published in the EU official journal at the end of December and is available as a PDF file at: incineration directive.

A spokesman for the EWA said: “We welcome the adoption of the EU incineration directive and look forward to the consultation process for transposition of the dDirective into national law.

“In particular, the EWA believes that Article 12, which grants the public access to information on operating procedures and emission levels via an annual report, is an important step forward, although many operators already make this information available on a voluntary basis. All energy from waste (EfW) plants in the UK are modern facilities which are equipped with advanced flue gas cleaning technology and operate to the strictest environmental standards. Access to information on emissions levels allows the public to see firsthand that EfW plants pose no risk to public health.”