§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which EU countries require individual businesses to register under the Groundwater Directive. [69782]
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§ Mr. MealeIt is a requirement of the Groundwater Directive (80/68/EEC) that individual discharges to groundwater should be subject to prior authorisation. It is for Member States, in accordance with their treaty obligations, to transpose these requirements into national law. The Groundwater Regulations 1998 complete transposition of the Directive by requiring authorisation of the disposal of listed substances to land, as distinct from a register of businesses.
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he plans to issue to farmers with regard to the necessity of registering with the Environment Agency under the groundwater regulations. [69783]
§ Mr. MealeThe Groundwater Regulations 1998 provide that disposals, or tipping for the purpose of disposal to land of listed substances, require prior authorisation. Transitional arrangements provide that applications which relate to an activity substantially the same as one carried out by the applicant previously, and made prior to 1 April 1999 (when the main provisions in the Regulations come into force), will be deemed approved until finally disposed of the by Agency. My officials wrote on 21 December 1998, to draw attention to these arrangements, to those consulted on the draft regulations, including the National Farmers Union, Tenant Farmers Association and the Farming Union of Wales. Draft guidance will be published for consultation as soon as possible.