EPA – Waste Regulation Reforms 2015
Under the Protection of the Environment Operations
(Waste) Regulation 2014, a number of changes have taken place and continue
to unfold.
1 March – the generation of more than 10 tonnes
of waste from the metropolitan levy area and transported outside of NSW will require
monitoring via the existing EPA online waste tracking system.
1 July – transportation of asbestos loads will be assigned a
unique consignment code to allow the EPA to monitor the load from the site of
generation to ultimate disposal.
1 August – scheduled waste facility operators
will hold a ‘waste levy liability’ when the waste is received at the facility
and occupiers of licensed landfills will be required to report to the EPA on
the type and amount of waste received and disposed (even when not required to pay
the levy).
Scheduled facility
operators will have to pay the waste levy where the waste is:
·
Stockpiled
on site for more than 12 months (unless it has been processed to a standard required
by a resource recovery order);
·
Stockpiled
above lawful limits; or
·
Transported
for unlawful disposal.
The objectives behind
these reforms were to:
·
Remove
the incentive to stockpile;
·
Illegally
dump non-recyclable wastes; and
·
Shift
the levy liability from landfill gate to recycling gate.
The Principal of G&B Lawyers, Kim Glassborow is a specialist planning & environmental lawyer who has spent years dealing with various different government agencies (EPA, local councils & Department of Planning & Infrastructure) and has a wealth of experience in the NSW waste management sector.
She presently advises many waste recycling companies on their legislative compliance and work, health and safety issues.
Kim advises developers and industry on issues relating to town planning, contaminated land, hazardous materials, environmental licensing, waste management and regulation, supply chain compliance and pollution incidents.
Kim also assists clients to obtain development and environmental licences and approvals, manage on-going environmental compliance, environmental incidents and all aspects of Land and Environmental Court litigation.
Kim has been retained by the Waste Contractors & Recyclers Association of NSW to provide specialist legal advice to its members.
She is regarded as a leading expert in waste law and has practical experience having worked in-house for a large recycling / landfilling Sydney company.
Suite 1, Level 1, 229 Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Mail: GPO Box 1849, Sydney, NSW 2001
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