How To Treat Hazardous Waste

s classified as hazardous when it possessescompany. On prosecution, the company was fined
properties that might make it harmful to human£15,000 for depositing hazardous waste and
health or to the environment, which in law means it isordered to pay cost of £1,415.38. It is thus a legal
on the list of Waste (England) Regulations 2005 or isrequirement that hazardous waste must be disposed
exceptionally classified as hazardous by the Secretaryof at a landfill site that is authorised to accept it.
of State. It is also the case that there is a legal dutyA landfill site authorised to accept hazardous waste
of care on producers of hazardous waste to ensuremay not be able to receive all types of hazardous
that their waste does not cause harm to humanwaste, whilst a landfill site classified as non-hazardous
health or the environment. This duty includes ensuringmay be able to receive certain stable non-reactive
that only authorised persons handle the waste; thehazardous wastes if they have the appropriate
waste only goes to a registered or exempt site thatfacilities. In some cases, the local council may be able
can accept the type of waste; a consignment noteto collect the hazardous waste for a charge; and
accompanies the waste; and the different categoriesalternatively you may be able to deliver it to a
of Hazardous waste are separated where technicallyhousehold recycling or civic amenity site free of
feasible. In addition, the new Hazardous Wastecharge.
Regulation obliges producers of more than 200kg ofThe current regulations for hazardous waste do not
hazardous waste within England or Wales to registerplace obligations on those producing hazardous waste
their premises with the Environment agency; andat domestic dwellings, but those produced at more
requires producers of hazardous waste to classifyinstitutional premises are subject to the requirements
the hazardous waste accordingly and to dispose of itof the regulations. It is important to take note when
correctly.disposing of hazardous waste that Hazardous waste
Problems with hazardous waste arise when a wasteshould not be disposed of in the mixed municipal
disposal contractor deals with the waste in an illegalwaste collection such as household and garden
manner, either by taking it to an unregistered disposalwaste, because the mixing of hazardous waste with
site or by fly-tipping. In such cases responsibilityany other non-hazardous waste or any other
remains with the waste producer and they may becategory of hazardous waste or any material or
liable for prosecution. For example, the Environmentsubstance is banned. With the exception of where
Agency recently charged a company for such anthe hazardous waste is produced as mixed waste or
offence. The company had been trading for almostwhere the mixing is part of a disposal or recovery
10 years and operated a skip hire company andoperation authorised and conducted in accordance
waste transfer station opposite a closed landfill sitewith the requirements of an environmental permit or
(but did not usually deal with asbestos). In 2007 sixa registered exemption.
skips containing hazardous asbestos and foundryThis article is free to republish provided this resource
waste were found on the closed landfill site afterbox remains intact.
being illegally and deliberately deposited by the