EMAS III enters into force

Who does this affect: EMAS registered organisations
When does this take effect: 11 January 2010

For the second time the EMAS Regulation has been revised and modified as Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) entered into force on 11 January 2010. The scheme has been amended following the review of the performance of the second version of EMAS and modifications have been made to ensure that EMAS is a high quality environmental management scheme. It has also been modified to include measures for reducing administrative burdens for EMAS registered organisations and creating incentives for raising the attractiveness of the scheme, particularly for smaller organisations. In addition, the scope of the scheme has been extended to allow organisations outside of the European Community to gain EMAS registration with EMAS verifiers who are.

The full text of the Regulations can be found here.

Further information on EMAS can be found here, or on the NQA website.

If you would like to gain EMAS registration with NQA please send an email to ems@nqa.com or contact one of our regional offices.

Draft Order for the creation of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme

Who does this affect: UK - Organisations who had at least one half hourly meter (HHM) settled on the half hourly market in 2008

The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme Order 2010 has been drafted. When made into law this will help the UK to meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, both domestic and international, by requiring participating organisations to monitor their emissions and, for organisations who qualify fully, purchase allowances for each tonne of CO2 they emit.

Participation in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (previously known as the Carbon Reduction Commitment) is mandatory for organisations who had at least one half hourly meter (HHM) settled on the half hourly market in 2008, and organisations whose 2008 annual electricity supply through all HHMs was at least 6,000 MWh will be required to participate fully. The scheme has been designed to improve energy efficiency in public and private sector organisations that are consumers of large amounts of electricity. It is expected that the Order will come into force in April 2010.

The full text of the draft Order can be found here.

A user guide for The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme can be found here.

SEPA consultation on proposals to amend the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 Fees and Charges (Scotland) Scheme

Who does this affect: Scotland - Organisations handling radioactive substances / waste.

SEPA are inviting views on proposals to amend the application fees and some subsistence charges, and the introduction of certain new charges, under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 Fees and Charges (Scotland) Scheme. The changes are being made to more accurately reflect current regulatory effort and also to recover the costs of the additional regulatory and reporting workload which has arisen as a result of The High-Activity Sealed Radioactive Sources and Orphan Sources Regulations 2005.

The consultation will end on 15 March 2010.

Further information can be found here.

Consultation on revised guidance on the Groundwater (England and Wales) Regulations 2009

DEFRA have issued a consultation inviting views on the proposed revised guidance provided for those responsible for discharges which could result in the pollution of groundwater. This follows the the Groundwater (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 coming into force on 30 October 2009 (as reported in the December 2009 issue of InTouch). The guidance will clarify the requirements of the regulations and explains how they are implemented.

The consultation will end on 29 March 2010.

Further information can be found here.

Consultation on draft guidance on the legal definition of waste and its application

A DEFRA consultation has been launched seeking views on the draft guidance prepared by DEFRA in conjunction with the Welsh Assembly Government, the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland, the Environment Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, on the legal definition of waste and its application. The guidance aims to help organisations make the right decisions on the classification of what is and isn’t waste, particularly in cases where the classification is not straightforward.

The consultation will end on 12 April 2010.

Further information can be found here.

List of Prior Informed Consent Procedure (PIC) chemicals amended

Who does this affect: UK - The importers and exporters of dangerous chemicals
When does this take effect: 27 January 2010

The list of dangerous chemicals whose international trade is monitored and controlled under EU Regulation (EC) No. 689/2008 concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals, , has been amended. This is enforced by the HSE under Export and Import of Dangerous Chemicals Regulations 2008. EU Regulation (EU) No. 15/2010 makes changes to the list of chemicals subject to export notification procedure, adding nine chemicals and removing one, and the list of chemicals qualifying for PIC notification, adding ten chemicals and removing four.

The full text of the 2010 EU Regulations can be found here.

The full text of the 2008 EU Regulations can be found here.

Further information on PIC can be found here.

HSE consultation on amendments the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974)

New legislation: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974)

The Health and Safety Executive has issued a consultation on the proposal to extend their powers under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974) by means of a Legislative Reform Order allowing them to regulate biological agents that pose a risk to animal health. Using the new powers the HSE will be able to introduce a single set of regulations to cover all contained use work with human and animal pathogens and genetically modified organisms, currently regulated by three separate pieces of legislation, thereby reducing the burden on duty holders.

The consultation will end on 28 March 2010.

Further information can be found here.

HSE issues guidance on Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations

Following on from their consultation on the proposed new regulations requiring the notification of tower cranes operating on construction sites (as reported in the August 2009 issue of InTouch), the HSE has produced a document to provide guidance for tower crane operators, including:

• what types of tower crane need to be notified to the HSE
• who needs to make sure tower cranes are notified and when
• what information needs to be notified and how

Further information can be found here.

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