To minimise COVID-19 related disruption to the environment and human health, the Environment Agency has published a catalogue of temporary regulatory position statements. Upon evaluation, many of these time-limited statements have had their expiry dates extended. Wiser Environment has reviewed each COVID-19 regulatory position statements and listed their expiry date. To make the most of these regulatory position statements and maintain compliance, contact the team at Wiser Environment.
Documented in the Environment Agency’s (EA) response to COVID-19, the regulator asserts that their “priority is to protect people and the environment and to support those we regulate.” In acknowledgement of the significant COVID-19 challenges the waste and resource industry faces, the EA published a collection of regulatory position statements (RPS) that provide operators with some compliance wiggle room. For example, the RPS C2 allows waste sites to exceed their waste storage limits if they are unable to remove the waste due to COVID-19.
As the industry gradually moves towards traditional normality, the EA plans to review each of their COVID-19 RPSs. If the regulator determines that an RPS is still needed, then they will extend the expiry date. However, the EA does explicitly state that it is the operator’s responsibility to check if an RPS is still applicable. To help support operators, Wiser Environment has reviewed each RPS and created an accessible table to highlight expiry dates.
Expiry dates for COVID-19 regulatory position statements
| RPS Number | Description | Expiry Date |
|---|---|---|
| RPS C1 | Cleansing and PPE waste at a healthcare waste management facility | 31/03/2021 |
| RPS C2 | Exceeding waste storage limits at permitted sites because of COVID-19 | 30/09/2020 |
| RPS C3 | Water and Sewerage Company OSM and UWWTR sampling affected by COVID-19 | 30/09/2020 |
| RPS C4 | Incinerating specified healthcare wastes at a municipal waste incinerator | 30/06/2020 |
| RPS C5 | PPE waste from home healthcare workers treating patients with COVID-19 | 31/03/2021 |
| RPS C6 | Storing treated sewage sludge you cannot move because of COVID-19 restrictions | 30/09/2020 |
| RPS C7 | Monitoring emissions from some environmental permitting activities | 30/09/2020 |
| RPS C8 | Social distancing when signing and handing over waste transfer and consignment notes in person | 31/03/2021 |
| RPS C9 | COVID-19 and packaging waste: registering as a packaging producer | 08/07/2020 |
| RPS C10 | Reporting for installations, radioactive substances and waste permits | 30/09/2020 |
| RPS C11 | Emissions to air from large combustion plant during black start events | 31/07/2020 |
| RPS C12 | COVID-19 and spreading slurry or milk on land, or storing slurry | 30/09/2020 |
| RPS C13 | Accumulating radioactive waste that you cannot transfer because of COVID-19 | 31/03/2021 |
| RPS C14 | COVID-19 and delaying hazardous waste consignee returns | 31/07/2020 |
| RPS C15 | COVID-19 and exceeding permit limits for medical use of radioactive substances | 31/03/2021 |
| RPS C17 | COVID-19 and storing waste at unpermitted sites due to exceeding your storage limits | 30/09/2020 |
| RPS C18 | Emissions to air from Large Combustion Plant in the Transitional National Plan | 30/11/2020 |
| RPS C20 | Monitoring emissions from some environmental permitting activities | 31/01/2021 |
Maintain compliance
The Wiser Environment team is available to help operators maintain compliance. These COVID-19 RPSs can help protect permitted operations and put businesses in the best place possible to survive the crisis. For more information or assistance with utilising an RPS, please contact Wiser Environment or call on 01480 462232.