12-May-2006 - Farmers
were today, 11 May, reminded by the Environment
Agency that from midnight 14 May they will no
longer be able to tip waste on their land.
Tricia Henton, Director of Environment
Protection for the Environment Agency, said: "From
May, new regulations tell whether farmers can
burn, bury or store waste on their farm will come
into force. In short, it means they will need
to think very carefully about how they handle,
and what they do, with their waste.
"Burning of waste that
causes pollution or harm, like plastics, will
be outlawed and tipping waste on the farm without
a landfill permit will be illegal. Landfill permits
are difficult and expensive to get and maintain
and as a result it is unlikely that farmers will
wish to apply for one. We strongly recommend farmers
stop putting waste in their tips before the regulations
take effect." Tricia said
Usually any disposal or recovery
of waste requires a waste management licence but
in certain situations there are exceptions to
this general rule. These are known as exemptions
and there are 26 which are relevant for farming.
Although farmers don’t have
to apply for an exemption they do have to register
one. EA has produced a comprehensive exemptions
pack to help farmers through this registration
process (available by phoning 0845 603 3113).
Examples of what farmers can
do under exemptions include:
• Using waste paper as animal
bedding.
• Using tyres on a silage clamp.
• Clearing mud and debris (dredgings)
from water-courses such as streams and ditches
and depositing it along their banks.
• Burning logs and branches
from fallen or chopped down trees. Burning untreated
timber from fence mending. Burning hedge trimmings,
leaves, bark and any other naturally occurring
plant matter.
• Disposal of plant tissue wastes
such as diseased or spoiled crops on land at the
farm where they are produced e.g. rotten potatoes.
Farmers have 12 months to register
their exemptions. The can do so free of charge
by calling the Environment Agency agricultural
waste helpline on 0845 603 3113.
To make the registration process
as easy as possible the Environment Agency have
introduced a sector by sector timetable for registration.
However, this is only a suggested timetable and
farmers from whichever sector are free to register
at any time until 15 May 2007.
The suggested timetable is as
follows:
June 06: oil seed rape, potatoes,
horticulture, sugar beet
July-Aug 06: beef
Sept-Oct 06: sheep
Oct-Nov 06: dairy
Dec 06-Jan 07: cereals
Feb 07: pigs, broiler hens
Feb-Mar 07: laying hens
In other situations farmers will have to ensure
they get an authorised contractor in, take their
waste themselves to a licenced or permitted site,
or get a waste management licence or landfill
permit. For most farmers obtaining a landfill
permit for their farm tip will not be viable due
to engineering requirements and costs involved.
These options will cost the
farmer money. It's much better for the farmer’s
pocket and the environment if the waste isn’t
produced in the first place. The Environment Agency
has leaflet to help farmers reduce the amount
of waste they produce and save money. It's available
free by visiting the Environment Agency website
or calling our National Customer Contact Centre
on 0845 6033113.
Farmers may also store their
waste for a year, but it is important that they
store their waste securely and ensure that it
doesn’t cause pollution or harm to the environment.
