Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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New environmental permits will cut red tape, save money, and put a spotlight on high risk businesses
New Environmental Permitting Regulations come into force this weekend in England and Wales, reducing red tape whilst protecting the environment and human health.
Environmental permits are required for industrial and waste activities which could harm human health or the environment unless they are controlled. The new system means businesses will find it simpler and less costly to be environmentally responsible.
Part of a joint Defra, Environment Agency and Welsh Assembly Government initiative, the Regulations which become effective on 6 April streamline and integrate Waste Management Licensing (WML) and Pollution Prevention Control (PPC) into one single regulatory system, replacing over 40 separate sets of regulations.
Joan Ruddock, Minister for Climate Change, Biodiversity & Waste, said:
"This is an important initiative that cuts down red tape and provides an easier and more flexible permit. The changes will have benefits for a wide range of low-risk businesses, but particularly for smaller enterprises, which often have limited time and resources to spend on form filling.
"In line with the government's Better Regulation agenda these clearer and simpler regulations will reduce the administrative burden for industry and regulators, saving around £76 million over 10 years."
The Environment Agency's Chief Executive Baroness Barbara Young stressed that:
"The new Environmental Permitting Regulations are in keeping with our role as a modern, risk based regulator. Not only will many operators have quicker, easier and more cost-effective regulation, but the Environment Agency will be able to concentrate more of its resources on the riskiest and worst performing operators, leading to a better protected environment."
Additional benefits and cost-savings will be delivered through the second phase of the Environmental Permitting Programme (EPP2): Defra, the Environment Agency and WAG are currently looking to expand the new single system by including further permitting regimes.
Detailed information can be found on Defra's webpage http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/epp or the Environment Agency's webpage http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/epr.
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