6.—(1) Before making an application for hazardous substances consent to the hazardous substances authority, the applicant shall, during the 21 day period immediately preceding the application—
(a)publish in a local newspaper circulating in the locality in which the land to which the application relates is situated a notice of the application on Form 3; and
(b)subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), post that notice on the land for not less than 7 days during that 21 day period, sited and displayed in such a way as to be easily legible without entering onto the land.
(2) The notice required by paragraph (1) shall invite representations on the application to be made to the hazardous substances authority within 21 days of the publication or posting of the notice, as the case may be.
(3) An applicant shall not be required to comply with paragraph (1)(b) if—
(a)he has no right of access or other rights in respect of the land which would enable him to post the notice as required; and
(b)he has taken all reasonable steps to acquire such rights but has failed.
(4) The applicant shall not be treated as having failed to comply with paragraph (1)(b) if the notice is, without any fault or intention of his, removed, obscured or defaced before the 7 days referred to in that paragraph have elapsed, so long as he has taken reasonable steps for its protection and, if need be, replacement.
(5) An application for hazardous substances consent shall not be entertained by the hazardous substances authority unless it is accompanied by—
(a)a copy of the notice referred to in paragraph (1), certified by, or on behalf of, the applicant as having been published in a local newspaper in accordance with paragraph (1)(a) and specifying the name of the newspaper and the date of its publication; and
(b)the appropriate certificate on Form 4, signed by or on behalf of the applicant.