MoreThanWaste.com - Agency makes allowance for problematic hazardous wastes (10/04/2007)

"While implementing these environmental standards we remain committed to the overall objective of ensuring the continued safe management of hazardous waste."

The Environment Agency

The Environment Agency has issued a briefing note in relation to problematic hazardous wastes with a high total organic carbon (TOC), making some allowance for their landfill up to June 2008. This is to give time for waste producers to overcome the problems associated with those wastes, though the allowance is strictly time limited.

Waste acceptance criteria (WACs) have been in place since July 2005, though more stringent WACs came into being in July 2006. Waste acceptance criteria control the hazardous wastes that can be deposited in landfill.

However from experience of the landfilling of hazardous wastes the Environment Agency has found that certain wastes streams, which do not meet the WAC for landfill, are very limited in the number of waste management options that are available to deal with them.

This is especially so for some hazardous waste streams with high total organic carbon.

Landfill Directive limits organic content

The Landfill Directive imposes limits on the organic content of hazardous wastes that are landfilled using the three parameters of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC) and loss on ignition (LOI).

The TOC limit is currently 6% and some wastes which fail to meet this have very limited alternative means of waste management other than landfill. This can cause major difficulties for some companies and threatens the safe management and handling of some hazardous wastes.

The Agency is offering a short term pragmatic solution to this problem though on the basis that such wastes must meet the 6% TOC limit by the 1 July 2008. The organisation will give consideration to applications to vary the TOC limit on specific wastes at specific sites and under a number of general conditions.

Other conditions also apply to any applications from PPC permit holders for a relaxation of the limits including that there should be no viable alternative for management of the wastes and a risk assessment should be undertaken, amongst others.

Further information

Fuller information on this time limited relaxation of the WAC on TOC can be found in a briefing note on the Environment Agency web site.

This briefing note is an update on, and should be read in conjunction with an earlier briefing note issued by the Agency.


	Agency makes allowance for problematic hazardous wastes (10/04/2007) "While implementing these environmental standards we remain committed to the overall objective of ensuring the continued safe management of hazardous waste." The Environment Agency The Environment Agency has issued a briefing note in relation to problematic hazardous wastes with a high total organic carbon (TOC), making some allowance for their landfill up to June 2008. This is to give time for waste producers to overcome the problems associated with those wastes, though the allowance is strictly time limited. Waste acceptance criteria (WACs) have been in place since July 2005, though more stringent WACs came into being in July 2006. Waste acceptance criteria control the hazardous wastes that can be deposited in landfill. However from experience of the landfilling of hazardous wastes the Environment Agency has found that certain wastes streams, which do not meet the WAC for landfill, are very limited in the number of waste management options that are available to deal with them. This is especially so for some hazardous waste streams with high total organic carbon. Landfill Directive limits organic content The Landfill Directive imposes limits on the organic content of hazardous wastes that are landfilled using the three parameters of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC) and loss on ignition (LOI). The TOC limit is currently 6% and some wastes which fail to meet this have very limited alternative means of waste management other than landfill. This can cause major difficulties for some companies and threatens the safe management and handling of some hazardous wastes. The Agency is offering a short term pragmatic solution to this problem though on the basis that such wastes must meet the 6% TOC limit by the 1 July 2008. The organisation will give consideration to applications to vary the TOC limit on specific wastes at specific sites and under a number of general conditions. Other conditions also apply to any applications from PPC permit holders for a relaxation of the limits including that there should be no viable alternative for management of the wastes and a risk assessment should be undertaken, amongst others. Further information Fuller information on this time limited relaxation of the WAC on TOC can be found in a briefing note on the Environment Agency web site. This briefing note is an update on, and should be read in conjunction with an earlier briefing note issued by the Agency.