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Spreading waste to land – obtaining the correct technical expertise
1st July, 2011
The Environment Agency has recently published Technical Guidance Note No EPR 8.01 How to comply with your Environmental Permit. Additional guidance for spreading waste to land.
Wastes such as sewage sludge, dredging spoil, paper pulp and food washings have been spread onto land for many years wherever it can be shown that the activity confers benefit and minimises risks to the environment. These operations largely proceeded under exemptions within the Waste Management Licensing Regulations but, on the 6 April 2010, new regulations came into force that changed the waste exemption system. Many of the wastes that were allowed to be spread onto farmland under the old Paragraph 7 exemptions are no longer covered by the new U10 waste exemption (Spreading waste on agricultural land to confer benefit) meaning that a Standard Permit may be required in future.
The technical guidance states that application for a permit will need to be supported by a ‘Benefit Statement’ that describes:
- the benefits and improvements that spreading the waste provides, and
- any potential negative impacts that the spreading might impart to the receiving soil and surrounding environment, as well as include proposals to mitigate these potential impacts.
The appendices to the guidance provide information on the benefits and potential negative impacts of 18 wastes commonly recycled to land, on characterising the receiving soil for waste-to-land operations, as well as providing a worked template of a benefit statement. One appendix also gives advice on what is the appropriate technical expertise for someone writing a benefit statement. Membership of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists is seen as a relevant qualification for waste applications relating to agricultural and ecological benefit, along with FACTS certification and British Institute of Agricultural Consultants membership for applications conferring agricultural benefit.
The staff and associates of Land Research Associates, who are long-term members of IPSS (with individuals also BIAC members or FACTS-trained), welcome the acknowledgement given to their professional qualifications. Their expertise has been applied over many years to ensure that spreading on land of various wastes has proceeded in an environmentally acceptable manner.
Technical Guidance Note, No EPR 8.01 is broken into the following sections:
1. How to comply with your environmental permit. Additional guidance for spreading waste to land operations (Version 1)
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTQQ-E-E.pdf
2. Appendix A – Benefits and negative impacts of wastes commonly applied to land (Version 1)
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTQR-E-E.pdf
3. Appendix B – Soil descriptions and adjusting the soil properties (Version 1)
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTQS-E-E.pdf
4. Appendix C – Guidance on the effects of metals in soils (Version 1)
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTQT-E-E.pdf
5. Appendix D1 - Model statement of agricultural benefit template (Version 1)
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTQU-E-W.doc
6. Appendix D2 - Agricultural benefit template and worked example (Version 1)
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTQV-E-E.pdf
7. Appendix E – Requirements for appropriate technical expertise (Version 1)
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTQW-E-E.pdf
8. Appendix F – Further Information (Version 1)
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTQX-E-E.pdf
Sewage sludge cake being delivered to farmland for later spreading and incorporation as a soil improver/fertiliser
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