The Planning (Management of Waste from Extractive Industries) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Preparation and submission of a waste management plan

6.—(1) A plan for the minimisation, treatment, recovery and disposal of extractive waste which takes account of the principle of sustainable development (a “waste management plan”) shall be submitted to the council.

(2) The waste management plan shall satisfy the objectives in Schedule 1 and shall include the following information—

(a) the identity of the operator;

(b) the actual, or proposed location of the extractive waste site or waste facility, including in respect of a waste facility any possible alternative locations;

(c) sufficient information and identification to enable the council to evaluate the operator’s ability to meet the objectives of the waste management plan, as detailed in Schedule 1, and explaining in particular how the option and method chosen as detailed in paragraph 1(a) of Schedule 1 will fulfil those objectives;

(d) the class, in accordance with paragraph 3, into which the operator considers the site or facility falls, with appropriate assessment to allow the council to consider whether it agrees with that classification, including an identification of possible accident hazards;

(e) waste characterisation in accordance with Schedule 2 and a statement of the estimated total quantities of extractive waste to be produced during the operational phase;

(f) a description of the operation generating such waste and of any subsequent treatment to which it is subject;

(g) a description of how the environment and human health may be adversely affected by the deposit of such waste and the preventative measures to be taken in order to minimise environmental impact during operation and after-closure, including the aspects referred to in regulation 9(1)(a) to (c), (d)(i), (e) and (f) and 9(2);

(h) whether or not the operator intends to place extractive waste into excavation voids for rehabilitation and construction purposes (whether the voids were created through surface or underground extraction) and, if such placing is intended, details of the proposed control and monitoring procedures—

(i) to secure the stability of the extractive waste in accordance with regulation 9(1)(a) to (c), (d)(i), (e) and (f) and 9(2), and

(ii) to prevent the pollution of soil, surface water and groundwater in accordance with regulations 10(1)(a) to (c) and 10(3);

(i) the proposed plan for closure, including rehabilitation, after-closure procedures and monitoring as provided for in regulations 11 and 12;

(j) measures for prevention of water status deterioration in accordance with Directive 2000/60/EC and for the prevention or minimisation of air and soil pollution in accordance with regulation 10;

(k) if classified as a waste facility, a survey of the condition of the land affected or to be affected by it.

(3) The options for the proposed classification are—

(a) an extractive waste site;

(b) a waste facility; or

(c) a Category A waste facility (in accordance with Schedule 3).

(4) Where the facility is classified as a Category A waste facility, the waste management plan shall include a document demonstrating that a major accident prevention policy, a safety management system for implementing that policy and an internal emergency plan, all as described in regulation 13, are in effect or will be put into effect in accordance with that regulation prior to the commencement of operations.

(5) The waste management plan shall be reviewed and amended as appropriate and submitted to the council no later than the fifth year after the date on which the planning permission was granted or the plan was approved, as the case may be, and thereafter no later than every fifth year following the date of the last review.

(6) The waste management plan shall, in the event of substantial changes to the operation of the waste facility or to the waste deposited, be amended as appropriate and any such amendments shall be submitted to the council.