Environmental Protection Act 1990

29 Preliminary

(1) The following provisions have effect for the interpretation of this Part.

(2) The “environment” consists of all, or any, of the following media, namely land, water and the air.

(3) “Pollution of the environment” means pollution of the environment due to the release or escape (into any environmental medium) from—

(a) the land on which controlled waste is treated,

(b) the land on which controlled waste is kept,

(c) the land in or on which controlled waste is deposited,

(d) fixed plant by means of which controlled waste is treated, kept or disposed of,

of substances or articles constituting or resulting from the waste and capable (by reason of the quantity or concentrations involved) of causing harm to man or any other living organisms supported by the environment.

(4) Subsection (3) above applies in relation to mobile plant by means of which controlled waste is treated or disposed of as it applies to plant on land by means of which controlled waste is treated or disposed of.

(5) For the purposes of subsections (3) and (4) above “harm” means harm to the health of living organisms or other interference with the ecological systems of which they form part and in the case of man includes offence to any of his senses or harm to his property; and “harmless” has a corresponding meaning.

(6) The “disposal” of waste includes its disposal by way of deposit in or on land and, subject to subsection (7) below, waste is “treated” when it is subjected to any process, including making it re-usable or reclaiming substances from it and “recycle” (and cognate expressions) shall be construed accordingly.

(7) Regulations made by the Secretary of State may prescribe activities as activities which constitute the treatment of waste for the purposes of this Part or any provision of this Part prescribed in the regulations.

(8) “Land” includes land covered by waters where the land is above the low water mark of ordinary spring tides and references to land on which controlled waste is treated, kept or deposited are references to the surface of the land (including any structure set into the surface).

(9) “Mobile plant” means, subject to subsection (10) below, plant which is designed to move or be moved whether on roads or other land.

(10) Regulations made by the Secretary of State may prescribe descriptions of plant which are to be treated as being, or as not being, mobile plant for the purposes of this Part.

(11) “Substance” means any natural or artificial substance, whether in solid or liquid form or in the form of a gas or vapour.