Chapter 7: Other Wastes
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East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Waste Local Plan Part 2: IMPLEMENTING THE WASTE LOCAL PLAN STRATEGY Chapter 7: Other wastes 103 East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Waste Local Plan Chapter 7: Other wastes Introduction 7.1 Other wastes include hazardous and clinical wastes, which require more stringent handling and treatment than other ‘controlled’55 wastes, and mineral, agricultural and sewage wastes, which are not classified as controlled wastes. This chapter describes the types of more specialised wastes that are produced in the Plan area, together with relevant policies against which proposals will be assessed by the WPAs. Applications will be assessed against the provisions of the whole Development Plan. This chapter deals with the following types of waste: (i) Mineral Waste (ii) Hazardous (Special) and Difficult waste (iii) Clinical Waste (iv) Wastewater and Sewerage (v) Landspreading of Liquid Wastes and Dredgings (vi) Liquid Waste Facilities (vii) Agricultural and Farm Waste (viii) Animal Carcass Waste (ix) Nuclear and Radioactive Waste (x) Contaminated Land Waste (i) Mineral Waste 7.2 Mineral waste mainly comprises overburden waste, unusable rock and process waste from screening and washing. There are few markets for these materials and they are usually incorporated into the restoration of the site. At sand and gravel sites with washing facilities silt is deposited in lagoons while at other mineral workings waste is deposited within the boundary of the site, as backfilling or screening. This is an appropriate re-use of the material provided it contributes to the beneficial restoration of the site or the temporary screening of operations. Opportunities for blending of mineral waste may arise if soil/compost materials are being produced on-site, the mixture yielding soil forming materials. The former Department of Environment, Transport & the Regions (DETR) document Soil Forming Materials – their use in Land Reclamation (1999) gives further guidance. 7.3 In the majority of cases, the use of mineral waste for screening and/or restoration projects will have been considered as part of the original mineral working application. However, where this is not the case, the WPAs will seek to ensure that all reasonable steps have been taken to re-use or recycle the material before giving consideration to supporting disposal to land. 55 Controlled Waste is defined in Section 75(4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (see Glossary). 104 East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Waste Local Plan 7.4 Some mineral waste, most notably crushed rock, is suitable as a secondary aggregate. Minerals Planning Guidance Note 6 Guidelines for Aggregates Provision in England, advises planning authorities to pursue policies to facilitate the use of these materials where this is environmentally or economically acceptable. The use of mineral waste as a secondary aggregate is therefore supported in principle. 7.5 Within the Plan area reject rock from gypsum mining is used as a low grade fill, but poor quality inhibits its widespread use as a secondary aggregate. However, it has a value as a substitute for other minerals of greater value, such as chalk. POLICY WLP 26: Mineral Waste Proposals for the management of mineral waste will be permitted, subject to other policies of the Plan where relevant, where they: a) form an integral part of a proposal for mineral working; or b) constitute effective re-use or recycling of the material. (ii) Special and Difficult Waste 7.6 In 2005, new regulations, known as the ‘Hazardous Waste Regulations’, were brought into force which affect the management of ‘Special’ waste in a number of ways. This legislation superseded the Special Waste Regulations 1996, and the term ‘Special’ waste was formally superseded by the term ‘Hazardous’. As Hazardous Waste encompasses all wastes which were ‘Special’, Policy WLP 27 shall be applied to the management of all wastes which are now defined as ‘Hazardous’ under the Hazardous Waste Regulations. Difficult wastes, on the other hand, are not defined in these Regulations but can be described as Controlled Wastes that appear on the Hazardous Waste List57, which generate handling difficulties in disposal because of their chemical or physical properties, but do not display any of the properties exhibited by hazardous wastes. 7.7 Difficult wastes include clinical, liquid and scrap metal wastes, tyres, aerosols, sewage and other sludges, contaminated soils and contaminated packaging materials. Examples of hazardous waste include industrial solvents and other chemicals, waste oils, prescription-only medicines and certain clinical waste. These are subject to close monitoring from ‘cradle to grave’ by the Environment Agency. 57 The Hazardous Waste List (HWL) (94/904/ec) lists the wastes on the european waste catalogue (EWC) (94/3/EC) considered to have hazardous constituents above certain thresholds. A waste listed on the HWL is more likely to be considered 'hazardous waste' in the UK 105 East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Waste Local Plan 7.8 The amount of hazardous and difficult waste generated in the Plan area is small, representing around 3% of overall ‘controlled’ waste arisings. Existing arrangements for these types of waste are expected to continue throughout the Plan period. However, where necessary, facilities for the transfer of hazardous and difficult waste could be accommodated at waste transfer sites and household waste sites while facilities for treatment and disposal may be accommodated at ‘strategic’ waste facility sites. 7.9 The former regional planning body SERPLAN58 (London & South East Regional Planning Conference) considered that sub-regional self-sufficiency in special waste (as hazardous waste was known at the time) disposal would not be feasible owing to the special requirements for management of these wastes, the relatively small amounts generated and the costs of establishing specialist management and disposal facilities. 7.10 At present there are insufficient hazardous or difficult waste transfer facilities in the Plan area to meet local requirements. If this situation remains unchanged, producers of this type of waste could face disposal problems over the period of this Plan, as the impact of the Hazardous Waste Regulations becomes clearer. Major waste developments in the Plan area will be expected to incorporate, where appropriate, facilities for the storage and transfer of these wastes. 7.11 Despite the current relatively small quantities generated, it is preferable to deal with Hazardous and difficult wastes, wherever practicable, as close as possible to their point of origin, because of the potential risks during transport and of the need to minimise the distance travelled between the source of the waste and it’s treatment/disposal point. It is acknowledged that this may not always represent the BPEO as the cost of installing facilities to deal with relatively small amounts of waste may be prohibitive. It is therefore anticipated that over the Plan period some Hazardous and difficult wastes will continue to be exported for treatment and/or disposal at specialist regional facilities. 7.12 Similarly, there could be a greater need within the Plan area in the future for facilities to handle imported Hazardous and difficult wastes as the EU Landfill Directive requiring the segregation of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes begins to take effect. Such facilities will be supported provided they also make a significant contribution to meeting local waste management needs and do not have any adverse environmental or traffic impacts. To facilitate the segregation of these wastes, the WPAs will seek the inclusion of appropriate sorting and transfer facilities in major waste developments and in new and upgraded household waste sites that can also be used by members of the public. 58 SERPLAN “Revised Waste Planning Advice; A Sustainable Waste Strategy for the South East 1996-2010”, SERP160. 106 East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Waste Local Plan POLICY WLP 27: Special and Difficult Wastes Proposals for the development of facilities for the handling, storage, treatment, processing and disposal of special and difficult waste will be required to demonstrate that: a) the waste arises within the Plan area or the facility forms part of a regional strategy for dealing with special and difficult waste which also makes a substantial contribution to meeting local waste management needs, and b) the proposed location and type of facility are appropriate to the nature and hazards of the waste. c) the co-location of waste facilities has been considered, where appropriate. N.B. In 2005, new regulations, known as the ‘Hazardous Waste Regulations’ came into force, this legislation superseded the Special Waste Regulations 1996, and the term ‘Special’ waste was formally superseded by the term ‘Hazardous’. As Hazardous Waste encompasses all wastes which were ‘Special’, this policy shall be applied to planning applications involving the management of all wastes which are now defined as ‘Hazardous’ under the Hazardous Waste Regulations. (iii) Clinical Waste 7.13 Clinical waste arises from the healthcare sector, from dental and veterinary practices, doctors’ surgeries and households. Some of these wastes can be disposed of at landfill sites, but infectious and other clinical waste posing a greater potential risk needs to be managed as hazardous waste. Most notifiable clinical waste is incinerated but new techniques such as sterilising or microwaving are being developed. 7.14 New emission standards for incinerators were introduced in October 1995 and, in recent years, all existing in-house hospital incinerators within the Plan area have closed down, as they have been unable to meet the new standards. Most clinical waste is now exported for treatment/disposal. In view of the environmental impact associated with transporting wastes over long distances, support should be given to new clinical waste management and disposal facilities, provided they are located within or adjacent to a facility that generates this type of waste. This applies equally to those facilities that are designed to cater for clinical wastes on a regional basis.