GREENS WELCOME INTRODUCTION OF NEW WASTE COLLECTION PERMITS!

The Wicklow Greens have welcomed the recent introduction of the Waste Collection Permit Regulations 2001. These regulations provide for a system of permitting by Local Authorities of commercial waste collection activities.The deadline for existing commercial waste collectors to submit permit applications to Wicklow County Council is the 30th November 2001.

"We are very pleased to see that these Waste Collection Permit Regulations have been finally introduced" says Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca." The 1996 Waste Management Act introduced the concept of issuing waste collection permits to commercial waste operators. However, local authorities could not issue these permits until appropriate regulations were made by the Department of the Environment. Local authorities have been waiting five years for these regulations and thankfully they have now been introduced" she says.

Councillor de Burca points out that the primary purpose of the permitting system is to facilitate appropriate controls on commercial waste activities so as to ensure good and consistent waste management practice and high standards of environmental protection."In most cases, an application fee of £950 must be paid by the waste collector prior to 1st January 2002 and 1,200 euros is payable after that date" she adds.

Once a complete permit application is made to the local authority by the private waste collector. the local authority must then consult with other local authorities in the region, the Environmental Protection Agency, and must make the permit applications available for inspection and purchase by members of the public.

" The effect of these regulations will be to give the local authority the ability to control and regulate the activities of the private waste collectors" says councillor de Burca. " For example, the local authority can grant the permit subject to conditions regarding the amount of waste that must be recycled. At present, despite the ambitious recycling targets within its own Waste Management Plan,the council cannot ensure that private waste collectors recycle even 1% of the waste that they collect. Furthermore, the council will now be in a position to refuse or revoke a waste collection permit where a waste collector has been convicted of a prescribed offence".

Councillor de Burca believes that the introduction of the Waste Collection Permits will begin to regulate what she feels has been an extremely unregulated situation regarding waste collection and disposal in the county. "We are all aware that illegal dumping is one of the greatest environmental and public health issues that we face in this county. I believe that the introduction of these waste collection permits, if properly implemented, will go a long way towards improving the situation".

For further information please contact Deirdre de Burca on 086 8061450 or email deburca@wicklowgreens.org.