Page 2901 - Week 09 - Thursday, 18 September 2014
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and litter, which have the potential to harm the immediate and surrounding environment if not appropriately managed.
An environmental authorisation will assist in managing the environmental impacts from the day-to-day operation of these facilities through the conditions under the environmental authorisation and the mandatory review of the waste transfer station’s environmental performance.
Electronic waste contains hazardous substances which have the potential to cause significant harm to the environment. A number of the substances contained in electronic waste are toxic to humans and the environment in the event of their release.
The management of electronic waste is an emerging issue nationally and internationally which requires an appropriate level of regulatory oversight to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. The authorisation of these activities will ensure the appropriate safeguards are in place.
The bill also contains minor amendments which are primarily intended to streamline administrative processes and clarify legislative provisions. One of the amendments in this category is the streamlining of the public notification and advertising of environmental authorisations. Currently the act provides for a public notification process through advertising in a daily newspaper and uploading of the placement of the instrument onto the ACT legislation register when an authorisation is applied for and again when it is granted.
An administrative process requiring multiple public notifications for the same activity is redundant in the administration of the law and notification of the community. This bill will streamline this process by removing the requirement for public notification when the EPA grants an authorisation.
This process will not remove the community’s voice or limit the transparency to partake in the public consultation process. Members of the community will still be able to make submissions within a specified period under the act about publicly notified applications for environment authorisations.
Instead of public notification through advertisement in a daily newspaper, members of the community who lodge submissions about an application for environment authorisations will be provided with written notification of the EPA’s decision on whether to grant or deny the application.
Notification of the grant will be placed on the ACT legislation register and a copy of the authorisation itself will be available for public inspection and on the directorate’s website. The removal of public notification through advertising of grants simplifies and streamlines the process of notification.
There are also a number of minor administrative and information and communication technology implications arising from the proposed amendments. Minor directorate budget implications are expected to arise from requirements in reforming the contaminated sites register as part of the proposed amendments for providing greater transparency and information on the management of contaminated sites in the territory.
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