New publications this month:

UKAS

Technical Bulletin: Deadlines extended for ISO 14001:2015 & ISO 9001:2015

The International Accreditation Forum has announced that provided the audit process is already underway for the transition to the 2015 versions of the ISO 14001 or ISO 9001 standards by 15 September 2018, the transition deadline will be extended.

If qualifying criteria are met, this extension provides until 15 March 2019 to transition to the new standards to retain certification.

HM GOVERNMENT

The Future Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union

This white paper sets out proposals for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Proposals concern future economic, institutional and security arrangements. The paper proposes that the UK maintains environmental standards through a ‘non-regression’ requirement and high standards on climate change. This non-regression requirement also concerns domestic labour standards.

Significantly, this paper proposes that a common rulebook is adopted for manufactured goods. If these proposals are accepted and adopted, this would continue the UK’s participation in European agencies for sectors including chemicals, medicines and aerospace.

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (DEFRA)

Surface water management action plan

Actions being taken to prevent surface water flooding are presented within this document.

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY (BEIS)

Heat Networks: Guidance for Developers and the Supply Chain

Three new series of documents have been published on the deployment of heat networks:

• Stakeholder engagement in heat networks: a guide for project managers
• Heat network electricity revenues and licencing
• Heat networks: detailed project development

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

Groundwater activity exclusions from environmental permits

This permitting guidance assists operators in determining whether groundwater discharges are adequately low risk so as not to need a permit or exemption. The document has been updated to include a de minimis exclusion for the discharge of water that meetings drinking water quality standards to ground.

Pollution inventory reporting: guidance notes

These guidance documents have been updated to reflect the addition of three new European Waste Catalogue (EWC) codes.

RPS213: Storing and drying waste wood before burning in a Part B co-incinerator

This new regulatory position statement applies requirements on the storage and drying of waste wood for Part B co-incinerators.

Regulatory guidance for installations: the greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme

Revised guidance reflects the updated reporting and surrender deadlines in 2018.

MCERTS and Monitoring

MCERTS: performance standards and test procedures for continuous water monitoring equipment - part 3 water flowmeters

This document has been updated for clarity purposes and to reflect new technologies.

MCERTS: performance standards and test procedures for continuous emission monitoring systems

This document has been updated to align it with the EN 15267-4 standard.

M20 quality assurance of continuous emission monitoring systems

This technical guidance document has been updated to remove the requirement for QAL2 calibration every three years for incineration processes.

SCOTTISH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY (SEPA)

Technical Flood Risk Guidance for Stakeholders

An updated version of SEPA’s guidance on undertaking a flood risk assessment has been published.

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS (DAERA)

Waste - duty of care responsibilities

A short guide to the duty of care responsibilities including advice and information for waste producers, carriers and those accepting, storing and treating waste.

Regulatory Position Statements (RPSs)

RPS low risk movements of small quantities of hazardous waste

Guidance has been published on the low risk movement of small quantities of hazardous waste.

RPS - The movement and use of treated asphalt waste containing coal tar

Guidance has been published on the use of treated asphalt waste containing coal tar.

NATURAL RESOURCES WALES

Vital nature: Making the connections between biodiversity and the people and places of Wales

This strategy sets out Natural Resources Wales’ priorities and goals in conserving and improving biodiversity in Wales through to 2022.

Civil Engineering firm fined £50,000 for illegal disposal of waste

Between July 2014 and October 2014 John Jones Civil Engineering & Groundworks Ltd deposited over 5,000 tonnes of soil, stone, brick and concrete into land hollows at Bage Farm in Madley, Herefordshire.

The hollows were a habitat for great-crested newts, a European protected species. Depositing the waste resulted in the disturbance, injury and fatality of some of the newt population.

John Jones Civil Engineering & Groundworks Ltd had previously received a caution for environmental offences committed in 2010 and 2011.

Breaches

The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2010 for failing to lawfully dispose of the waste.

Penalty

John Jones Civil Engineering & Groundworks Ltd was fined £50,000 (including costs it had avoided in failing to lawfully dispose of the waste) and ordered it to pay prosecution costs of £50,000.

Water company fined over £33,600 for pollution incidents

Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) has been fined for three separate pollution incidents.

One incident arose in 2016. This was traced to a failure to clear a build-up of silt in a drain during maintenance checks. The negligence prevented the flow of sewage reaching the sewage works, instead being diverted to a storm overflow and consequently discharging untreated sewage into the Smithy Burn at Broomley. As a result, a thick sewage fungus was found to be affecting the watercourse for 100m downstream of the outfall, which had starved the water of oxygen and resulted in the death of invertebrates.

NWL’s environmental permit only authorised the discharge of treated sewage effluent to the Smithy Burn.

The pollution incident at Broomley originated from a storm overflow channel. These allow rainwater and sewage effluent to bypass a sewage treatment works in times of heavy rainfall, to avoid the works’ capacity being exceeded. To be lawful, storm overflows should be incorporated into the works’ environmental permit.

Two other similar offences were taken into consideration as part of this case following unpermitted discharges of sewage effluent at both Summerhouse & Killerby Sewage Treatment Works. Environment Agency inspections at both works found them in a poor state of repair with faulty equipment.

Penalty

NWL was ordered to pay over £33,600 in fines and costs for the three separate pollution incidents.

Scottish recycling company subjected to an enforcement notice following complaints about offensive odours

Following complaints from the local community, GP Green Recycling Limited’s site on Newhousemill Road in Blantyre was issued an enforcement notice requiring emissions from the site to be free from offensive odours by 20th July 2018.

GP Green Recycling Limited undertakes activities such as the composting of co-mingled green waste and food caddy waste arising from domestic collections

The enforcement notice required the operator to undertake a comprehensive review and report this to SEPA. Remedial actions must be taken to ensure the site is compliant with its licence and that emission are free from offensive odours by the date previously noted.

The operator is reported to be cooperating and has committed to take actions required by the enforcement notice.