Waste Management
Since 2012, there has been a clear government policy focus on waste as a resource and the virtual elimination of landfilling. This has meant the development of waste handling and processing infrastructure nationally, the outputs from which are often exported abroad, and the reduction in the number of landfills across the start.
The current and future focus is on waste prevention, reuse, maximising recycling and using waste as a fuel in replacement of fossil fuels. In 2015, approximately 300,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste was accepted at composting and anaerobic digestion plants for treatment. The Food Waste Regulations, which require the segregation and separate collection of commercial and household food waste, are resulting in increasing amounts of organic waste being available for recycling and this trend should continue giving rise to the need for further infrastructure developments.
Strategic Planning and Waste Management legislation advice including appropriate site identification, planning advice, environmental, ecological and project communications services are all critical areas of consideration to ensure the correct project at the correct location is brought through the planning and regulatory process smoothly. MKO have advised clients on a wide range of waste infrastructure projects of every scale, and understand the requirements of the waste management industry and the processes that regulate activities in the sector.
Waste Management – Key Services
We manage the entire planning permission application process, or provide key inputs and planning advice. From advice at the pre-planning stage, through to preparing and managing the planning application or responding to further information requests, we help applicants or their project teams navigate a project through the planning process.
We can either lead the planning-phase design team or are equally happy to play out part as a team member. Our most experienced planners lead the consultations with the Planning Authorities, from the initial concept feasibility discussions right through to agreeing pre-commencement compliance requirements.
We advise on, prepare, submit and monitor applications for all types of licenses and permits required by the waste industry. These include EPA licenses or Local Authority waste facility permits, Certificates of Registration (CoRs) or waste collection permits.
We help prospective applicants determine which regulatory regime is relevant to their activity, and advise on all aspects of that regulation. Alongside our waste licence/permit advice, our planning expertise allows us to offer a parallel opinion on the often-related need for planning permission. To help keep facilities compliant, we prepare quarterly or Annual Environmental Reports (AERs) on behalf of clients and remain available to them to deal with any related matters as they arise.
Our environmental monitoring capabilities span groundwater, surface water (inland and marine), noise and dust, and we undertake monitoring both during the construction phase of projects, or to fulfill ongoing environmental compliance requirements for licensed or regulated facilities.
During the construction stage of projects, we undertake monitoring on behalf of construction contractors, or on behalf of project developers/applicants to monitor a contractor’s compliance with environmental or contractual performance criteria. We also own and operate a large array of automatic water quality monitoring devices (SONDES), which provide our clients with access to valuable real-time, and long-term water quality data relating to their site or project.
Using a rigorous process, we identify & select optimum sites for projects. We use GIS mapping to identify key planning and environmental constraints, and opportunity areas outside the constraints that can accommodate a development project.
It can be difficult enough to secure project consents, without starting with the wrong site. We help select the optimum site for a development, which gives the project the best possible chance of success. The consideration of alternatives (including alternative sites) is a key requirement for EIA projects, and we help applicants demonstrate they have selected the best site in an area, county or region, for their chosen project.
They are also written to be practical and aware of the need to implement design and mitigation measures during a project’s construction/operation phase. We project manage client, design team and specialist inputs, and meet our client’s deadlines. Our EIA experience spans every industry sector. Projects and clients benefit from the combined experience of all our company’s staff, who have refined our EIA knowledge and practices over decades of work in this field.
Our waste management plans can be prepared for the construction or operational phase of projects, to identify the types and volumes of waste arisings, opportunities for reuse and recycling, or where necessary, recovery or disposal.
Construction phase plans can also include demolition waste arisings were relevant and are often incorporated into our Environmental Management Plans.
