The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Requirement for an environmental permit E+W

12.—(1) A person must not, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit—

(a) operate a regulated facility, or

(b) cause or knowingly permit a water discharge activity or groundwater activity.

[F1 (1A) Paragraph (1)(a) does not apply in relation to the operation of a medium combustion plant, mobile medium combustion plant or a specified generator comprising—

(a) a new medium combustion plant, before 20th December 2018;

(b) an existing medium combustion plant with a rated thermal input greater than 5 megawatts, before 1st January 2024;

(c) an existing medium combustion plant with a rated thermal input of less than or equal to 5 megawatts, before 1st January 2029;

(d) a specified generator, before the permitting date,

unless that medium combustion plant, mobile medium combustion plant or specified generator, is required to have a permit by virtue of forming part of another class of regulated facility.

(1B) For the purposes of paragraph (1A)—

(a) “existing medium combustion plant” and “new medium combustion plant” have the meanings given in paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 25A;

(b) “permitting date” has the meaning given in paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 25B.]

(2) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply if the water discharge activity or groundwater activity is an exempt facility.

(3) In respect of a radioactive substances activity, paragraph (1) does not apply to a person to whom a radioactive substances exemption applies for that activity.

(4) Paragraph (5) applies to a person (“A”) who—

(a) receives radioactive waste from another person (“B”) for the purposes of A disposing of that waste, and

(b) subsequently disposes of that waste.

(5) Where this paragraph applies, A does not require an environmental permit—

(a) for the receipt of waste from B, where B holds an environmental permit which allows B to dispose of the waste to A, or

(b) for the subsequent disposal of that waste by A, where the waste is disposed of in accordance with the permit held by B.

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 12(1A)(1B) inserted (30.1.2018) by The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/110), regs. 1, 7

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Reg. 12 excluded (22.12.2017) by The M20 Junction 10a Development Consent Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/1202), arts. 1, 3(1)(a) (with arts. 4, 37)

C2 Reg. 12(1)(a) excluded (23.2.2017) by High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017 (c. 7), s. 70(1), Sch. 21 para. 4