Environmental Protection Act 1990

Special waste and non-controlled waste

62 Special provision with respect to certain dangerous or intractable waste

(1) If the Secretary of State considers that controlled waste of any kind is or may be so dangerous or difficult to treat, keep or dispose of that special provision is required for dealing with it he shall make provision by regulations for the treatment, keeping or disposal of waste of that kind (“special waste”).

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above, the regulations may include provision—

(a) for the giving of directions by waste regulation authorities with respect to matters connected with the treatment, keeping or disposal of special waste;

(b) for securing that special waste is not, while awaiting treatment or disposal in pursuance of the regulations, kept at any one place in quantities greater than those which are prescribed and in circumstances which differ from those which are prescribed;

(c) in connection with requirements imposed on consignors or consignees of special waste, imposing, in the event of non-compliance, requirements on any person carrying the consignment to re-deliver it as directed;

(d) for requiring the occupier of premises on which special waste is situated to give notice of that fact and other prescribed information to a prescribed authority;

(e) for the keeping of records by waste regulation authorities and by persons who import, export, produce, keep, treat or dispose of special waste or deliver it to another person for treatment or disposal, for the inspection of the records and for the furnishing by such persons to waste regulation authorities of copies of or information derived from the records;

(f) for the keeping in the register under section 64(1) below of copies of such of those records, or such information derived from those records, as may be prescribed;

(g) providing that a contravention of the regulations shall be an offence and prescribing the maximum penalty for the offence, which shall not exceed, on summary conviction, a fine at level 5 on the standard scale and, on conviction on indictment, imprisonment for a term of two years or a fine or both.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above, the regulations may include provision—

(a) for the supervision by waste regulation authorities of activities authorised by virtue of the regulations and for the recovery of the costs incurred by them from the persons carrying on the activities;

(b) as to the recovery of expenses or other charges for the treatment, keeping or disposal or the re-delivery of special waste in pursuance of the regulations;

(c) as to appeals to the Secretary of State from decisions of waste regulation authorities under the regulations.

(4) In the application of this section to Northern Ireland “waste regulation authority” means a district council established under the [1972 c. 9 (N.I.).] Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972.

63 Waste other than controlled waste

(1) The Secretary of State may, after consultation with such bodies as he considers appropriate, make regulations providing that prescribed provisions of this Part shall have effect in a prescribed area—

(a) as if references in those provisions to controlled waste or controlled waste of a kind specified in the regulations included references to such waste as is mentioned in section 75(7)(c) below which is of a kind so specified; and

(b) with such modifications as may be prescribed;

and the regulations may make such modifications of other enactments as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(2) A person who—

(a) deposits any waste other than controlled waste, or

(b) knowingly causes or knowingly permits the deposit of any waste other than controlled waste,

in a case where, if the waste were special waste and any waste management licence were not in force, he would be guilty of an offence under section 33 above shall, subject to subsection (3) below, be guilty of that offence and punishable accordingly.

(3) No offence is committed by virtue of subsection (2) above if the act charged was done under and in accordance with any consent, licence, approval or authority granted under any enactment (excluding any planning permission under the enactments relating to town and country planning).

(4) Section 45(2) and section 47(1) above shall apply to waste other than controlled waste as they apply to controlled waste.