The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 SI 988

The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011  ("Waste Regulations") came into force on 28th March 2011 revoking a number of regulations.  The Waste Regulations implement the revised EU Waste Framework Directive 2008/98, which sets requirements for the collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 as amended

2010:  Amends 2006/3289 replacing ‘dangerous substance or preparation’ with ‘dangerous substance or mixture’ and (as from 1 December 2010 and 1 June 2015) substitutes new definitions of ‘dangerous substance or mixture’.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006

These Regulations are designed to prevent waste of electronic and electrical equipment, promote re-use, recycling and recovery of such waste, minimise risks and impact to the environment associated with treatment and disposal of end of life electronic and electrical equipment by ensuring producers supply a take back facility for electronic waste.

The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010 No 675) (as amended)

The Regulations implement a new system of environmental permitting in England and Wales. They therefore transpose the provisions of the key EU Directives that impose obligations either required to be delivered through permits or capable of being delivered through permits.

Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/EC

The Environmental Liability Directive ("ELD") sets out requirements that EU member states must enact to prevent and remedy environmental damage. Its aim is to hold operators whose activities have caused environmental damage financially liable for remedying the damage. The underlying principle is “the polluter pays”.

Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part IIA) as amended by the Environment Act 1995

Identifies how land is classed as contaminated. Local Authorities inspect their area, identify contaminated land and ‘special sites’, and publish a remediation notice specifying what is to be done to clean up the land.  Once sites are identified, the owners, occupiers and other appropriate parties are notified.

Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2006 SI 1380

These Regulations consolidate the provisions of the Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2000 with various amendments, and extend the existing contaminated land regime to cover radioactivity.  The regulations also remove provisions relating to appeals against remediation notices to a magistrates' court.

Radioactive Contaminated Land (Modification of Enactments) (England) Regulations 2006 SI 520

Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out a regime for the identification and remediation of contaminated land. The 1990 Act did not, however, apply to harm or water pollution attributable to radioactivity.  These regulations apply Part 2A of the EPA.

Environmental Damage Regulations 2009 SI 153

These Regulations impose obligations on operators of economic activities requiring them to prevent, limit or remediate environmental damage. Directive 2004/35 has the objective of making operators of activities which cause environmental damage financially liable for that damage (i.e. it reinforces the ‘polluter pays’ principle making operators financially liable for threats of, or actual damage).

Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part III)

Prohibits emissions from any premises that are prejudicial to health or cause a statutory nuisance (one that interferes with a person's reasonable use of their own premises, including smoke; fumes or gases; dust; steam; smells or other effluvia; and noise.

Building and Approved Inspectors (Amendment) Regulations 2006 SI 3318, 2007 SI 3384 & 2010 (SI 719)

Air condition and boiler inspections to be undertaken by competent personnel in line with manufacturers requirements on Concept Evolution

Clean Air Act 1993

Prohibits the emission of dark smoke with certain exemptions from chimneys serving fixed boilers or other industrial plant e.g. generator sets.  Prohibits the emission of dark smoke from any industrial or trade premises, for example from bonfires used to dispose of waste.

Control of Pollution Act ("COPA") 1974 (Sections 60 and 61)

This legislation gives powers to the Local Authority ("LA") to control noise and vibration from construction sites.  The basis of the COPA legislation is that Best Practical Means should be used to control noise and vibration pollution. Section 61 provides for an employee/ contractor to apply to the LA for prior consent before works commence.

Construction Plant and Equipment (Harmonisation of Noise and Emission Standards) Regulations 1988 (as amended 1992, 1995)

Provides for examination and certification of construction plant that comply with noise emission standards.  Implements the EU Directive 79/113/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the determination of noise emission of plant and equipment.

Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) Regulations (England) 2002 and Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

The Regulations empower certain local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to issue fixed penalty notices to users of vehicles within their areas who contravene or fail to comply with regulation 61, 61A or 98 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 ("the 1986 Regulations").

Noise Act 1996

Set out procedure for local authorities to follow when investigating a noise complaint, and give local authority power to seize noise making equipment, impose abatement notices and impose fixed penalties.

Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993

Set out guidelines and the regulatory system for the use of various noisy equipment.

The Sulphur Content of Liquid Fuels (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/1460) as Amended 2007 (SI 2007/79)

These regulations make it an offence to use heavy fuel oil with a sulphur content exceeding 1%, and to use gas oil/marine oil with a sulphur content exceeding 0.2%.  In 2008, it will become an offence to use gas oil/marine oil with a sulphur content exceeding 0.1% by mass.

The Smoke Control Areas (Authorised Fuels) (England) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/2105)

Provides a list of authorised fuels for burning, the 2011 amendment amend the Smoke Control Areas (Authorised Fuels) (England) Regulations (SI 2008/514, as amended), so as to add two new fuels (Big K Restaurant Grade Charcoal and Newflame Plus Briquettes) to the list of authorised smokeless fuels.

The Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992

It is the duty of each person who has, to any extent, control of premises to ensure that no modifiable device is situated on those premises unless the information set out in the Schedule to these Regulations has been notified in writing, on a form approved by the Health and Safety Executive ("HSE").

The Environmental Protection (Controls on Ozone-Depleting Substances) Regulations 2011 No. 1543

The Regulations enforce Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 744/2010. The EU Regulation controls the production, placing on the market and use of substances that deplete the ozone layer.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations ("COSHH") 2002 as amended (latest amendment 2004) SI 3386

Prohibits an employer from undertaking any work which is liable to expose any employees to any substance hazardous to health unless they have made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks created by that work to the health of those employees, meeting the requirements of these Regulations.

The Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Define hazardous wastes and set out the requirements for disposal of hazardous waste.  Similar standards are applied to Northern Ireland and Wales.

The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 SI 507

The 2009 amendment increases the limit for amount of hazardous weight a company can produce in a year without having to register with the Environment Agency from 200kg to 500kg.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2013

The Public Services (Social Value) Act came into force on 31 January 2013. It requires people who commission public services to think about how they can also secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits.

Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005

Increases the power of local authorities and the Environment Agency to deal with litter, graffiti, illegally dumped waste and noise.  Also extends the list of statutory nuisances to include light pollution and nuisance for insects and a new requirement for site waste management plans ("SWMP") for construction and demolition projects.

Climate Reality Project

Founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore, the Climate Reality Project has a mission to catalyse a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society.

Climate Change Act 2008

Founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore, the Climate Reality Project has a mission to catalyse a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society.