Environment Protection (Waste to Resources)

Policy

TIANA NAIRN

November 08

Proposed Waste to Resources EPP

• Will support and expand the regulatory framework to assist in achieving SA’s Strategic Plan and SA’s Waste Strategy’s waste targets

Key outcomes

• Improve resource recovery and reduce disposal to landfill.

• Environmental benefits.• Minimise or eliminate the environmental risk of waste

management.• Broaden the responsibility for waste management

amongst stakeholders.• Create opportunities for industry sectors to work with the

EPA to achieve certainty regarding expected behaviours.• Consistency and transparency in the assessment of

waste management and resource recovery activities.

EPP features• Material declared to be waste• Waste management objective• Unlawful disposal of waste• Resource recovery prior to disposal to landfill• Prohibited landfill wastes (ie landfill bans)• Waste transport obligations• Unlicensed activities involving listed wastes• Medical waste• Management of HCBs, OCPs and PCBs• Codes of practice• Design, construction and operational standards

Waste management objective• To achieve sustainable waste management by

applying the waste management hierarchy consistently with the principles of ecologically sustainable development.

• Waste management should also:– Promote best practice and accountability– Include effective recording, monitoring and

reporting systems– Promote environmental responsibility and

involvement in waste avoidance, minimisation and management within the community

Unlawful disposal of waste

• Only a limited range of options will be acceptable for the disposal of waste.

• In all other cases, disposal will be unlawful.• ‘Disposal’ is defined broadly to enable capture

of inappropriate stockpiling also.• The clause is structured so that it can capture

anyone in the disposal chain as appropriate – land owners or occupiers, transporters, others who have caused the disposal of the waste.

Resource recovery prior to landfill• From 2 years after EPP commences, waste from Metro

Adelaide (with some exceptions) must be subject to resource recovery prior to disposal at landfill.

• Otherwise, a landfill disposal certificate must be issued specifying that the waste is:(a)residual waste from an appropriate resource recovery

process; or

(b)waste (that was aggregated for resource recovery) that is not in a condition suitable for reasonably available resource recovery processes.

• Mandatory provisions apply to all causing the disposal of the waste and landfill operators.

Prohibited landfill wastes

• Mandatory provisions are proposed for the disposal of banned wastes and the receipt of such wastes at landfill.

• Propose staged bans to enable recovery infrastructure to develop as appropriate.

• Banned wastes may be disposed of to landfill with a disposal certificate for aggregated waste for recovery that is not in a condition suitable for reasonably available resource recovery processes.

• Exemptions are possible without public consultation.

Project progressAfter consultation has been undertaken:• the Authority prepares a response to submissions

and makes the response available for inspection;• Authority reports to the Minister on the EPP;• Minister may approve the EPP (with or without

amendments);• Governor may then declare the EPP to be

authorised by notice in the Gazette.• EPP is laid before both Houses of Parliament. The

EPP may be disallowed or ERD Committee may recommend amendments.