Back to contents

Updates: Landfill operators: environmental permits

2024

17 January 2024 published amendments

Landfills for inert waste

Updated the ‘Construction quality assurance for artificially established geological barriers’ section. This is to clarify what we require in terms of the experience of CQA inspectors. Clarified what we require for the CVs of CQA personnel and what we require for the mentoring and close supervision of CQA inspectors.

Design and build your landfill site

Updated the 'Landfill capping: design' section to say: where your site is not controlling gas emissions, odour or leachate levels, you must install a temporary cap within a timescale specified in writing with the Environment Agency.

Construction quality assurance (CQA)

Updated the guidance to clarify what the Environment Agency requires in terms of the qualification and experience of CQA personnel.

Close your landfill site

Clarified the difference between temporary cessation and temporary closure (often called 'mothballing'). Added new guidance on permit compliance and early closure. Explained changes to the Environment Agency's closure process - where they agree a site is definitely closed, they will vary an operators permit (previously, an operator was invited to apply to vary). Confirmed the changes the Environment Agency will make. Updated advice on the relationship between definite closure and permit surrender. Added a link to a new closure report template.

2023

29 June 2023 published amendments

Landfills for inert waste

Updated the 'Construction quality assurance for artificially established geological barriers' section. This was to clarify the minimum number of inspections. And to clarify what we require in terms of qualifications and experience. Updated the 'Sample and test the waste you accept: level 3 verification' section to clarify the requirements.

Plan the environmental setting of your site

Added text to the section 'Carry out a groundwater risk assessment'. Added text about the need for a geological barrier.

What to include in your hydrogeological risk assessment

Added text on leachate level and characterisation for landfills for hazardous or non-hazardous waste, and inert waste and deposit for recovery. Added a section on pollutant calculations. Added a table of possible failure scenarios. Added text on groundwater or surface water compliance points. Added text on control and assessment levels. These all taken from ‘Landfill developments: groundwater risk assessment for leachate’. Added clarity on when we need a generic or detailed qualitative risk assessment.

Construction quality assurance (CQA)

Updated the requirements for CQA personnel qualifications and experience.

Develop and maintain management plans

Updated the 'Review your landfill gas management plan' section to clarify that the technology you use must minimise surface uncontrolled methane emissions. Updated the 'Manage odour' section to refer to other high sulphate bearing materials.

Accept the right waste

Restructured the chapter to simplify it. Added text on pre-acceptance checks. Added text on sampling standards and retaining samples.

Manage leachate

Updated the 'Store and treat leachate' section to clarify what leachate treatment facilities must do if they are above the EPR schedule 1 threshold. Updated the 'Design of pre-manufactured glass lined steel tanks' section to say the design requirements must include manufacturer’s testing to show the tank complies with the appropriate mark for the market in Great Britain. Updated the 'Dispose of leachate' section to clarify that you must be authorised by a consent to discharge.

Monitor and report your performance

Updated to clarify the requirements for monitoring and reporting your performance.

Restore your landfill site

Updated the 'Improve soil quality' section to link to landspreading guidance on how to produce a benefit statement. Updated the 'Making up waste settlement' section to link to guidance on environmental permits for deposit for recovery operators.

2022

31 October 2022 published amendments

Accept the right waste

Updated the 'Landfill classification by waste types' section. This section of the manual now replaces the guidance previously published in the PDF document ‘LFD1 – Understanding the Landfill Directive’.

17 February 2022 published amendments

Landfills for inert waste

Edited the section ‘Requirements you must meet to deposit waste into water’: Point 4 – sentence added ‘You must confirm you cannot remove the water’.

How to do a stability risk assessment: landfill sites for inert waste or deposit for recovery activities

New section. This section has replaced the stability risk assessment report template.

How to do a stability risk assessment: landfill sites for hazardous and non-hazardous waste

New section. This section has replaced the stability risk assessment report template.

Monitor and report your performance

Edited the section 'Plan your monitoring points' - added additional guidance operators should refer to, to make sure the design of monitoring wells is suitable.

Review your hydrogeological risk assessment

New section to replace the ‘Hydrogeological risk assessment for landfills: 4 yearly review template’. Introduces requirement for 6 yearly review.

Close your landfill site

New chapter to replace the guidance closing landfills in the document 'Understanding the Landfill Directive: LFD 1'.

2021

21 April 2021 published amendments

Develop and maintain management plans

This section replaces previous guidance on how to comply with your environmental permit. It provides advice on the management plans you must provide to the Environment Agency when you apply for a permit. It also describes what other plans you must provide, based on a risk assessment. It tells you what information to include in those plans and how the Environment Agency will use them to regulate the landfill. Operators of operational or closed landfills can use the advice when they revise or update their management plans.

Accept the right waste

This section replaces part of the former waste acceptance criteria. The parts of that guidance relevant to waste producers is in ‘dispose of waste to landfill’. It describes the 3 classes of landfill site. It summarises the checks an operator must carry out when they accept waste, including the paperwork, inspection and sampling of the waste. It provides advice for operators to apply for higher leaching limit values and how the Environment Agency will regulate that.

Manage leachate

This section replaces part of the former guidance on how to comply with your environmental permit. It gives advice on the infrastructure, maintenance and monitoring for leachate produced by landfills for hazardous or non-hazardous waste.

Manage landfill gas

This section replaces part of the former guidance on how to comply with your environmental permit. It gives advice on the infrastructure, maintenance and monitoring for landfill gas produced by landfills for hazardous or non-hazardous waste.

Deposit waste over existing waste at landfills (overtipping)

New section added.

What to include in your environmental setting and installation design report

New section added.

What to include in your environmental setting and site design report

New section added.

What to include in your hydrogeological risk assessment

New section added.

2020

30 January 2020 published amendments