Head Office Press Office
- 4-Jun-2007 - With less than a month to
go early figures from the Environment Agency
show that the major producers, rebranders
and importers of household electrical and
electronic equipment such as televisions
and toasters are signed up with an approved
compliance scheme ahead of 1 July.
Liz Parkes, Head of Waste at the Environment
Agency, said: "From 1 July separately
collected waste electrical and electronic
equipment must be treated and recycled,
with the producers paying the cost. Initial
data we have received from registered producers
who are obligated under the new Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations
indicates the major companies are signed
up.
"The data submitted to us by the compliance
schemes on its members shows that of those
producers who have registered, last year
they collectively put 1.4m tonnes of household
electrical items on the market. This shows
we have captured the major producers but
we are aware there are smaller businesses
obligated under the WEEE Regulations who
still haven’t registered.
"Our advice to these business is to
get into a scheme as soon as possible. Unregistered
producers will have committed an offence
and if you leave it too late, you risk getting
prosecuted."
With electrical waste now one of the fastest-growing
waste streams across Europe - expanding
at around three times the rate of general
waste - the aim of the regulations is to
encourage more recycling, recovery and re-use,
and ultimately divert more used goods away
from landfill.
They place the responsibility for - and
the cost of - reducing environmental impact
on those who profit from making the goods
in the first place. The more electronics
a producer puts on the market, the more
WEEE it must ensure is dealt with safely.
Compliance schemes have been set up to help
those companies affected by the WEEE Regulations
by collecting and recycling products on
their behalf.
Liz Parkes continued: "The progress
so far in implementing the WEEE Regulations
has been positive given the challenging
timetable laid down by the Department for
Trade and Industry.
"Our overall priority for 2007 is
to ensure those affected by the change in
the law are aware of their responsibility
under the new regulations. In the first
compliance period, which runs from July
to December 2007, we want to help make sure
businesses are complying with the new rules.
However if we find a business has deliberately
flouted the rules, we will take action."
As part of the continued drive to make
unregistered producers aware of the regulations,
the Environment Agency will be targeting
companies it considers as potentially needing
to join a compliance scheme through advertisements
and other awareness campaigns. This work
will run alongside efforts by the Department
for Trade and Industry, who will also be
reminding producers for their responsibilities.
For the full list of approved compliance
schemes and their contact details, along
with further information on the WEEE Regulations,
visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/weee
or contact the Environment Agency on 08708
506 506.
+ More
Environment Agency gets their baps out
in Swadlincote – AGAIN!
Holly Smith - 5-Jun-2007 - On 4 June 2007,
representatives from the Environment Agency
handed out free breakfast baps to local
tradesmen in Swadlincote and provided them
with free advice on their waste disposal
responsibilities.
The team set up shop at the Newhall Buildbase
site, Park Road on Monday morning where
they offered tradesmen free breakfast baps
if they stopped and chatted to the team
about their duty to dispose of their waste,
and other peoples waste properly.
Tim Ross, Environment Officer organising
the free breakfasts said: " Last years
Butty Van event was so successful in getting
our messages across to local tradesmen we
could not resist the opportunity to talk
to them again. We spoke to another 27 businesses
and their staff during the morning. This
is another scheme from the BREW (Business
Resource Efficiency and Waste) team which
aims to crack down on grubby large-scale
fly-tipping, illegal waste sites and unregistered
waste carriers in the South Derbyshire area.
"
"By asking tradesmen to stop and chat
with our team about how they handle waste
we hope to remind them that if they have
waste they have a legal ‘Duty of Care’.
The Duty of Care applies to everyone involved
in handling the waste, from the person who
produces it, to the person who finally disposes
of or recovers it. Duty of Care is one of
the main ways to combat flytipping.
"Our efforts are paying off, we have
seen a 12% drop in incidents of large-scale
fly-tipping in South Derbyshire. Looking
at the national picture we can see there
are increasing numbers of fly-tipping incidents
being reported, but with targeted campaigns
like ours here in South Derbyshire, we can
see that we can make a real difference to
the quality of life for local residents
and businesses."
The BREW project is funded from landfill
receipts; Defra has awarded the Environment
Agency £130,000 to fight waste crime
to create a level playing field for legitimate
business and help reduce the amount of waste
that businesses in Derby and South Derbyshire
produce.
+ More
Environment Agency plugs the hole
Catherine Ross - 6-Jun-2007 -The Environment
Agency has finished essential improvements
to fill in a breach at Woodmill on the River
Itchen.
The breach, which first appeared as a small
hole many years ago, had grown into a large
gap taking half of the River Itchen flows.
In response to the concerns about its increasing
size the Environment Agency has filled in
the hole with 30 tonnes of limestone boulders
to reduce the flow through the breach.
This work will reduce the risk of flooding
at Woodmill. There was a concern that the
breach was effecting the automatic sluices
at the end of the River Itchen. These fall
and rise with the tide and help keep the
water in the lower reaches of the river
at the correct level. The amount of water
being lost to the breach channel was making
it difficult for the gates to find the correct
level. Had the gates set the water level
too high this could have increased the chance
of flooding.
The reduced water flow through the breach
channel should also encourage salmon and
sea trout to use the fish pass at Woodmill
Pool, designed to assist them upstream.
Migratory fish such as salmon and sea trout
are attracted to fast flowing water when
travelling upstream. The size of the breach
and the volume of water flowing through
it was attracting the fish, leaving them
more vulnerable to poaching as it flowed
through a remote spot in the river.
The increased water flow downstream will
help the various types of plant and animal
life, which were previously trying to survive
on half the amount of water needed. The
limestone rocks have also been positioned
in a way that will prevent further erosion
but will still allow a flow of water over
and through them. This will help retain
the valuable instream and bankside habitat
created by the breach.
By working closely with Southampton City
Council, who own the Woodmill Activity Centre
were the breach is, additional wetland habitat
has been created. Several scrapes have been
made in the low lying ground near the breach.
This will encourage reeds to grow and also
provide shallow pools for species such as
frogs and dragon flies.
Heb Leman, Environment Agency Technical
Officer, said of the project: "The
breach at Woodmill has been a concern for
many years. It is satisfying to resolve
the situation.
"The work we have done is one more
step in the right direction at getting the
famous River Itchen back into favourable
status. By controlling the breach the main
river will benefit from the increased amount
of water. This will not only help the natural
fauna and flora associated with this classic
chalk river, it will also help create a
better place for wildlife and for the local
people that enjoy the river."
+ More
Environment Agency crackdown on close fishing
season
Alexandra Wales - 7-Jun-2007 - Environment
Agency enforcement officers this week carried
out a boat patrol along River Tees in a
bid to catch anglers illegally fishing during
the coarse fish close season.
The River Tees has become a highly valued
coarse fishery since the Tees barrage was
erected 12 years ago, but the Environment
Agency had received complaints that anglers
were fishing illegally on the river, between
the Tees Barrage and Yarm.
Officers found eight of the eleven people
checked on this stretch of river were fishing
illegally on Tuesday June 5th and they will
now be reported for prosecution. This included
people fishing without rod licences and
those using maggots in the close season
for coarse fish.
One suspected offender tried to escape
from enforcement officers and was captured
and arrested until his identity could be
verified.
Environment Agency fisheries officer David
Bamford said: "It is important to enforce
the coarse fish closed season as fish need
to be allowed to spawn successfully without
being targeted by anglers. Fish become vulnerable
to handling damage at spawning time and
can fall victim to disease if handled."
Those caught without a rod licence will
be prosecuted and could be liable to a fine
of up to £2500, and anyone fishing
the River Tees using maggots before the
16th of June is committing an offence and
will be prosecuted.
David continued: "People must realise
that they should not be fishing in the River
Tees for coarse fish during the close season
for coarse fish 15th March to 15th June
inclusive. If they are we will catch them
and they will face prosecution."
Money from rod licences is used to fund
improvements to river habitats, surveys
which can highlight a need for improvement
work, and events to encourage more people
to take up the sport.
For 2007/2008 a full season coarse and
trout fishing licence costs just £24.50
and a salmon and sea trout licence costs
£66.50. There is also a range of concessionary,
junior, eight-day and one day licences.
The almost three million people who receive
Disability Living Allowance in England and
Wales are eligible for a half price fishing
licence from April 1, 2007.
Buying a new licence couldn’t be easier
- around 15,000 Post Offices and other outlets
sell them; a direct debit can be set up,
and they can be purchased over the phone
(0870 1662662) or on-line at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/rodlicence
any time, day or night.
