Waste Management

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018

Tuesday, 17 April 2018

Ceisteanna (1167)

Mary Butler

Ceist:

1167. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to amend legislation pursuant to section 14 of the Waste Management Act 1996, and specifically under article 11 of Waste Management Regulations 2007 and as amended in 2008, to allow for increased capacity of importation of all soil and stones to a maximum tonnage of 500,000 in order that private operators already in possession of a certificate of registration from their local authority do not need to go to the expense of applying to the Environmental Protection Agency to increase their intake if the facility already has the capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15541/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007, S.I. 821 of 2007 set out waste activities which may be authorised under a waste facility permit or certificate of registration as opposed to being authorised under a waste licence. Different thresholds (above which a licence is required) apply to different waste activities, depending on the nature of the waste activity concerned.

The Regional Waste Management Offices published a report on construction and demolition waste (soil and stone) recovery and disposal capacity in December 2016. The report made a number of recommendations, including that consideration should be given to increasing the maximum tonnage of soil and stone which could be recovered at a facility authorised under a waste facility permit (currently set at 100,000 tonnes over the lifetime of the facility for that particular waste activity).

My Department circulated a consultation paper in December 2017 to seek the views of stakeholders on the thresholds set in the Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007, S.I. 821 of 2007 for the recovery of soil and stone. The submissions received are currently under consideration.