NI : More controls on farm waste

By James Campbell

No more tipping or burning of agricultural waste on your farm - that is the aim of new rules set to be introduced in Northern Ireland in April this year, with a transitional period of 12 months.

According to these regulations, you won't legally be able to operate a farm tip or dump without a licence. The licence will be expensive to get and to maintain. If licensed, your tip has to be operated in accordance with strict standards on landfill. You will not be permitted to place agricultural waste in a household dustbin.

There will be some exemptions for agricultural waste, such as using waste paper for animal bedding or old tyres to hold down a silo cover.

Burning of hedge trimmings, logs or branches from fallen trees and untreated fence timbers will also be allowed. But it appears that you will have to register for such exemptions.

The Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) is the regulatory body with the responsibility for enforcing these regulations. It is understood that adherence to these rules will be part of cross-compliance for Single Farm Payment purposes.

EHS chief executive Richard Rogers said this week that the operation of farm dumps, without a licence, will be illegal. He confirmed that, for most farmers, obtaining a waste management licence is likely to be impractical and expensive, so alternative solutions to the farm dump will be required. According to Rogers, the 'Duty of Care' requires farmers to ensure that their agricultural waste is not illegally managed, that it does not escape from their control, that it is only transferred to an authorised person and that it is adequately described to enable proper handling and treatment.

Farmers will be permitted to:

• Store their waste on site for up to 12 months.

• Take their waste to an appropriately licensed waste management site.

• Transfer their waste to someone else who is legally authorised to carry waste as a registered carrier, for recovery or disposal off farm.

• Register a licence exemption with the EHS to undertake some waste management activities on the farm.

• Apply for a waste management licence to undertake waste management activities on the farm.

It is possible for farmers to use a combination of these options.

Agricultural waste is any waste from agricultural premises, including packaging, e.g. fertilizer bags or pesticide containers; silage plastics; net wrap; redundant machinery; batteries; waste oils; scrap metals; veterinary waste and tyres.