The Environment Agency (EA) has launched its latest consultation on permit compliance proposing stringent financial penalties for poor performers.
The consultation, opened mid-September, proposes changes to how permit compliance is assessed and scored to make it clearer and more consistent. The move follows industry feedback that the current Compliance Classification Scheme introduced in 2013 is complex and doesn’t accurately reflect the risks associated with a site.
The main proposed changes are:
- Consolidation of compliance scores relating to more than one Emission Limit Value (ELV) within the same reporting period; and
- Where compliances scores are consolidated, the highest CCS score will be applied.
The EA also proposes to give further explanation in its guidance on the outcome of a compliance assessment.
The proposals would be the EA’s first steps to implementing its new strategic approach ‘Performance Based Regulation’ where well-run, fully compliant and lower risk sites can benefit from lower subsistence charges. Conversely, poor performers and high risk waste operations and installations would be subject to greater financial penalties.
The consultation ends on 29th October 2018. The EA proposes to introduce any revisions from 1 January 2019 at the start of the compliance year. This will not affect subsistence charges for waste operations and installations until 2020.
Download the consultation document and participate in the consultation here.