Form

Land and groundwater remediation deployment form guidance

Updated 26 October 2021

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deployment-form-for-land-and-groundwater-remediation/land-and-groundwater-remediation-deployment-form-guidance

Complete the deployment form MPP2 if you’re applying for a mobile plant permit deployment for land and groundwater remediation activities.

1. Before you start

You must hold a mobile plant permit, either:

You must apply for a bespoke waste permit if you cannot meet the conditions of the standard rules.

1.1 Regulatory position statement (RPS)

Before you apply for a permit and deployment, find out if you can comply with the conditions of the pilot trials and small scale remediation schemes RPS 215.

If you can comply with the conditions of the RPS you do not need a permit or deployment.

2. Apply to deploy mobile plant

Use the deployment form MPP2 to apply to deploy mobile plant.

If you hold a relevant permit you can apply to deploy to as many sites as you want.

You must submit a separate application for each individual site.

In your application you must provide site specific information to show how you’ll:

  • control pollution from the treatment process
  • control and manage emissions to avoid pollution to the environment and harm to human health

We’ll use the information you provide to decide if your proposed deployment can comply with the rules of your permit.

If you submit incomplete or missing information we’ll take longer to assess and determine your application. When you apply make sure you:

  • follow the guidance in the form
  • answer all the questions that apply to you - if a question does not apply, write ‘not applicable’ and provide a reason why
  • allow at least 25 working days from the time you send in your completed form for us to assess your application

When you submit your application you must include:

  • completed deployment form MPP2
  • the correct fee
  • clearly referenced supporting documents (see section B11 of the form for the checklist)

2.1 Written management system

In your application to deploy, you must show how you’ll follow your written management system. This is a set of procedures describing what you’ll do to minimise the risk of pollution from the activities covered by your permit.

You must have your written management system in place before you can deploy.

2.2 When you can start

You must not start any activities until you’ve received written confirmation that your deployment application has been approved.

Once you’ve received written confirmation you must:

  • let us know 7 days in advance of any work starting on the site - this includes mobilisation of plant to the site
  • only carry out the mobile treatment processes specified

3. Section B2: activities to be carried out at the site

If you want to change (vary) any details or act on any changes in the approved deployment form you must contact us and get our agreement.

If the changes you propose are significant and result in an increased risk, you must resubmit your deployment form and the application fee. For example, this could be the addition of a treatment activity or be related to the nature of the waste being treated.

We’ll need to reassess the deployment.

4. Section B3: duration of deployment

The deployment timeframe starts from the moment you deploy the mobile plant at the site. This includes any set up, commissioning or pilot period before the start of treatment.

The operations agreed under the deployment form:

  • last for up to 12 months (52 weeks) from the date work starts on site
  • must stop at the end of the approved period - you must remove the mobile plant from the site unless you’ve applied for an extension

If you think your deployment will last for more than 12 months then you must tell us about this in section B3.1. You must provide justification.

4.1 Apply for an extension

You may be able to apply for an extension to address unforeseen circumstances such as:

  • unexpected contamination volumes
  • adverse weather conditions
  • plant failure

If you specified a shorter time than 12 months on your application form you can extend this to 12 months. You must:

  • discuss your requirements with us
  • get written confirmation

If you specified 12 months, and during the deployment you find you’ll need to deploy for more than 12 months, you must contact us as soon as possible.

We can consider a further 12 month extension but you must:

  • submit a new deployment form with the fee before the end date on the current deployment form
  • provide evidence about why you need an extension

The maximum length of time for any deployment is 24 months.

If activities need to carry on after 24 months, you’ll need to contact us. You need to discuss if the on-going treatment operation needs to be controlled:

  • as an installation
  • under a waste site based permit

5. Section B7: meeting remediation objectives

A deployment deals with how you’re going to manage the risks from the treatment activities on the local environment.

If your deployment is to remediate existing (historical) land contamination, you need to make sure your operations meet the remediation objectives set out in the site’s remediation strategy (RS). For more information see the land contamination: risk management guidance.

Before you submit your application for deployment you’ll need to submit the RS to our local Groundwater and Contaminated Land (GWCL) team.

We’ll make a decision to approve your deployment application regardless of whether the RS is agreed. However, this may affect you being able to start as we may need to:

  • check for potential pollution that your treatment activities could cause
  • make sure you meet groundwater monitoring requirements during treatment activities
  • assess post remediation groundwater levels and rebound

Contact us to find your local GWCL team.

Approving an application to deploy does not imply that the treatment technology you plan to use will be suitable for meeting any remediation objectives. It’s the responsibility of the landowner or applicant to meet the required remediation objectives.

6. Sections B8 and B9: pollution control and emissions monitoring plan

There must be no point source emissions to air, water or land, except from the sources listed in the agreed deployment form. You must not exceed these limits.

You must also consider:

  • emissions not controlled by emission limits such as volatile organic carbons (VOCs), bioaerosols, fumes, dust, pests, litter, leaks to ground
  • noise and vibration
  • odour

You must have an emissions monitoring plan in place. This must be included in your written management system. See also condition 3.2.2 of your mobile plant permit.

For further information see control and monitor emissions for your environmental permit.

6.1 Control of stack emissions

If you operate your mobile plant in the right way, VOC emissions will usually be short term and a limited amount.

Where you install measures to capture or collect these emissions, for example via vacuum extraction, you must satisfy us that:

  • all potential emissions are adequately characterised
  • you’ve made predictions of type and rate of the emissions based on reasonable worst case assumptions
  • if available, you’ll employ pollution abatement technology and it will be fully optimised
  • if abatement technology is not available, you’ll minimise these releases
  • you can show compliance via continuous monitoring of plant performance indicators
  • any releases will not breach local air quality standards in the form of Environmental Assessment Levels

We’ll give advice on what you need to do if a more detailed stack emission assessment is required.

6.2 Noise and vibration

Noise and vibration must not impact:

  • workers at the site
  • local residents

Local residents should have no cause to complain. You must monitor noise levels outside the operating boundary. You must include how you’ll do this in your monitoring plan for deployment.

You must develop trigger levels. Follow the general guidelines for noise and vibration.

For standard rules, you:

  • must meet the conditions for noise and vibration given in section 3.4 of your mobile plant permit
  • do not have to routinely complete a noise and vibration management plan unless we tell you to do so
  • can use British Standard BS4142: 2014 Methods for assessing industrial and commercial sound to help prevent or deal with potential noise problems

6.3 Odour

You must be able to comply with condition 3.3 of your permit and section B8.1 of MPP2.

7. Section B12: deployment fees

To find the deployment charge see table 2.16.24 in the Environmental permitting charges scheme and table of charges.

You can find details on how to pay in the deployment form MPP2.

8. Other permits and permissions

Before you start work you must check if you need to apply for other permits or permissions. For example:

You must apply for these separately - they are not part of your deployment. It’s your responsibility to make sure you have the correct permits or permissions in place before site works start.

9. CL:AIRE Definition of waste: Development industry code of practice (DoW CoP)

In section B2.3 of the form you must tell us if the site is a part of a cluster group. This will not affect your deployment application.

For a cluster project to exist, one of the sites, called a hub site must have an environmental permit for the treatment of waste. This can be either:

For further details on the DoW CoP see:

10. If you need help and advice

If you have any questions about the form or supporting documents, please contact us.

11. Where to submit your form

Submit your deployment form, fee and supporting documents by email to PSC@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Or by post to:

Environment Agency Permitting and Support Centre
Environmental Permitting Team
Quadrant 2
99 Parkway Avenue
Parkway Business Park
Sheffield
S9 4WF

12. Enforcement

The agreed deployment form is part of your permit. If you breach any of the details in the approved form or any condition of your permit we may take enforcement action.

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