29/04/04 Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC Colin Gray 29 April 2004

29/04/04 Introduction The Landfill Directive. Directive Requirements Directive Definitions Update on Implementation Implications References and websites

29/04/04 The Landfill Directive  The Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) was adopted in July 1999 with a requirement for Member States to start implementation by 16 July The Directive sets “stringent technical and operational requirements” for waste and landfill with the aim of preventing or reducing negative environmental effects from landfilling of waste during the whole life cycle of the landfill.

29/04/04 Directive Requirements  All sites to be classified as  hazardous  non hazardous  inert  No co- disposal to be permitted after 2004  Landfill Directive to be fully implemented by 2009 (effectively 2007 due to IPPC implications)

29/04/04 Directive Requirements  Landfills only to accept treated waste (in due course)(exemption for inert waste)  Directive details minimum requirements for lining and capping layers (and technical construction details)  waste acceptance criteria detailed (Council Decision 2003/33/EC published Jan 2003)  Control and monitoring of wastes and emissions from landfills  Certain wastes to be banned from landfills – including liquids,explosives, infectious clinical wastes, tyres whole and shredded (apart from tyres these wastes are prohibited from hazardous sites from 16/07/02)

29/04/04 Directive Definitions  ‘landfill’ means a waste disposal site for the deposit of waste onto or into land, including:  Internal waste disposal sites (ie landfill where a producer of waste is carrying out its own waste disposal at the place of production), and  A permanent site (ie more than one year) which is used for the temporary storage of waste,

29/04/04 Directive Definitions  Excludes –  Facilities for the preparation of waste for further transport for recovery, treatment or disposal elsewhere, and  Storage of waste prior to recovery or treatment for less than three years as a general rule,or  Storage of waste prior to disposal for less than one year.

29/04/04 Update on Landfill Directive Implementation  Background 1) Directive adopted July Ist Consultation Feb ) 16 July 2001 Directive due to be implemented 3) August 2001 – Letter from Scottish Executive instructing use of existing powers to implement as far as possible 4) 21 June 2002– Direction from Executive to carry out certain tasks 5) By 5 July site licences modified – 15 classed as hazardous, hazardous waste generally banned from others, site conditioning plans required by 16 July ) 31 October 2002 update 192 scp’s received, 43 closure letters, 21 no responses 7) 11 April Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 took effect 8) 30 June 2003 amendment regulations – waste definition 9) July 2003 – March 2004 all sites served with either closure or permit application notice

29/04/04 Update on Landfill Directive Implementation  Closure/ Permitting Plan runs to 2007  Present projections – 110 sites open after July 2007  Likely hazardous sites - none after July 2004

29/04/04 Implications of Landfill Directive ?  Very few hazardous landfills in Scotland/UK  Massive reduction in number of landfills generally (present projections suggest around 110 landfills in Scotland after 2007 – down from around 250 as at July 2002 – 195 operational as at December 2002.)  Massive increase in costs of landfill – industry estimates a gate price per tonne 4 to 8 times higher than existing prices (excluding landfill tax).  Incentive for waste reduction/recycling or incentive for illegal disposal.  Impact on other waste recovery/disposal options – waste to energy?

29/04/04 References  Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC(as amended)  Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC  Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive 96/61/EC  Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000  Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003

29/04/04 References  Websites –    