COMMITTEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Environment Committee Office
Room 245
Parliament Buildings
Stormont
BT4 3XX

alex.mcgarel@niassembly.gov.uk
Tel 028 9052 1347
Fax 028 9052 1795

Mr Colin Millar
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Land and Resource Management
1st Floor, Klondyke Building
Cromac Avenue
Gasworks Business Park
Lower Ormeau Road
Belfast
BT7 2JA

23 January 2009

Dear Mr Millar

Ref: Environment Committee’s response to the consultation on the Financial Provision for Waste Management Activities in Northern Ireland

Having sought guidance from NILGA and TAG and reviewed the Department’s synopsis of responses, the Assembly Environment Committee is now in a position to make a number of observations with regard to the above consultation.

The Committee accepts the need for financial provision for waste management activities and welcomes the differentiation between landfill and non-landfill activities. The Committee notes that the financial provisions should be proportionate to the impact of the activities and urges the Department/NIEA to be mindful of Government’s commitment to minimising administrative burdens and costs when deciding on the technical details of the budgeting arrangements. The Committee also notes that the costs should be reviewed to accurately reflect Pollution Prevention and Control licensing.

In addition, the Committee notes the following comments submitted by other organisations:

• the need to ensure any additional financial or administrative burden on legal waste management activities does not encourage illegal activity to flourish;
• the knock-on effects of the current weakness of the global recycling market;
• the importance of ensuring regulation is consistent across Northern Ireland;
• clarity regarding immediate and long term liability; and
• additional Departmental costs.

These concerns have been brought to the attention of the Committee by a range of organisations over the past 18 months and the Committee requests that these will be adequately addressed when finalising the policy on financial provision for waste management policies.

Yours sincerely

Mr Patsy McGlone
Chairperson of the Committee for the Environment