Agenda item

            (Mr. T. Walker, Head of Waste Management, attended in connection with this item).

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To highlight the NIEA Financial Provision Policy for Waste Management Activities in Northern Ireland.

1.02     To ensure that Belfast City Council has sufficient, secure and available resources to address the environmental and human health impacts of its waste management activities at the following sites:

·        Agnes Street Civic Amenity Site

·        Alexandra Park Household Recycling Centre

·        Blackstaff Household Recycling Centre

·        Cregagh Road Civic Amenity Site

·        Dargan Road Waste Transfer Station

·        Palmerston Household Recycling Centre

·        Park Road Household Recycling Centre

·        Springfield Civic Amenity Sites

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Provide assurance to the NIEA that the Council has sufficient funds available to address any potential environmental or human health impacts arising from its waste management activities.

·        Proceed with preparing a Local Authority Deed Agreement to cover an aggregated financial provision of £195,000 for any potential impacts arising from our waste management activities.  The Financial Provision Calculations for Belfast City Council Waste Sites is available on modern.gov.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       The aim of the (NIEA) Financial Provision Policy is to ensure that holders of licences and permits in Northern Ireland have sufficient, secure and available resources to address the environmental and human health impacts of their waste activities.

3.2       Financial provision for non-landfill activities is required under the Waste and Contaminated Land Order (NI) 1997 and the Pollution Prevention and Control (Industrial Emissions) Regulations (NI) 2013.  Activities covered include waste treatment and transfer sites subject to waste management licensing and waste treatment sites regulated under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.

3.3       The amount of financial provision is based on the maximum permitted quantity of waste that, an operator can store on the site at any one time, under the terms of their licence / permit.

3.4       Non landfill activities must apply a simple indicative formula based on the appropriate management of waste tonnages and restoration/remediation costs, to calculate the amount of financial provision.

3.5       Operators are required to determine the financial provision amount for each site.  Sites which have a financial provision of £10,000 or more, will be deemed to be higher risk.

3.6       Based on the NIEA recommendations, the four Household Recycling Centres and the Waste Transfer Station are deemed to be higher risk sites than the three Civic Amenity Sites.

3.7       NIEA require waste operators to review and submit their financial provision at least annually.  Where an operator applies to modify or vary a licence, financial provision must be reassessed (and agreed by the NIEA) by the applicant at that time.

3.8       To demonstrate financial standing, NIEA require evidence from waste operators that they have sufficient funds available.  Depending on the financial provision determined, one of a number of options can be provided – for example for lower risk sites, this could be a credit reference check, a statement of accounts or a Parent Company Guarantee.  For higher risk sites, this could be Bonds or Escrows.

3.9       For public sector sites, evidence may be provided by showing that the costs of operation and, if required, financial provision amount, will be funded out of a named, dedicated budget, indicating the allocation of funds.  A Local Authority Deed Agreement may be considered where a local authority is: carrying out its own waste activities; can substantiate the financial provision to be appropriate and; that the monies are readily accessible.

3.10     Financial & Resource Implications

            Based on the NIEA indicative formula, the aggregated financial provision for the Council’s waste sites (covering 4 household recycling centres, 3 civic amenity sites and the waste transfer station at Dargan) amounts to approximately £195,000.  This sum has been included within the relevant budget.  On a site-by-site basis, the £195,000 can be broken down as follows:

            Table 1: Summary of Financial Provisions for Council Waste Management Sites.

3.11     Equality or Good Relations Implications

            None.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.