UK Act of Parliament 1997 Northern Ireland

The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

At a glance

Enforced by

NIEA

What's here

60 compliance obligations

Penalty landscape

12 of 60 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 14 carry different penalties and 34 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Who this Act binds

Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.

  • Any Person 28
  • Licence Holder 2
  • Manufacturer 1
  • Occupier 1
  • Data Controller 1
  • Applicant 1
  • Responsible Person 1

Plus 25 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.

Any Person also bound by 749 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Licence Holders also bound by 50 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Manufacturers also bound by 82 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Occupiers also bound by 101 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Data Controllers also bound by 7 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Applicants also bound by 146 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Responsible Persons also bound by 56 other Acts (top 5 shown)

What this Act requires

Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.

Part I — INTRODUCTORY

No sections of this Part have been ingested yet.

Part II — WASTE ON LAND

No sections of this Part have been ingested yet.

Part III — CONTAMINATED LAND

No sections of this Part have been ingested yet.

Part IV — GENERAL

No sections of this Part have been ingested yet.

Schedules

Browse 39 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
s.sch001

Production or consumption residues not otherwise specified below.

s.sch001

Machining or finishing residues (e.g. lathe turnings, mill scales,

s.sch001

Residues from raw materials extraction and processing (e.g. mining residues, oil field slops,

s.sch001

Adulterated materials (e.g. oils contaminated with PCBs,

s.sch001

Any materials, substances or products whose use has been banned by law.

s.sch001

Products for which the holder has no further use (e.g. agricultural, household, office, commercial and

s.sch001

Contaminated materials, substances or products resulting from remedial action with respect to land.

s.sch001

Any materials, substances or products which are not contained in the above categories.

s.sch001

Off-specification products.

s.sch001

Products whose date for appropriate use has expired.

s.sch001

Materials spilled, lost or having undergone other mishap, including any materials, equipment,

s.sch001

Materials contaminated or soiled as a result of planned actions (e.g. residues from cleaning operations,

s.sch001

Unusable parts (e.g. reject batteries, exhausted catalysts,

s.sch001

Substances which no longer perform satisfactorily (e.g. contaminated acids, contaminated solvents, exhausted tempering salts,

s.sch001

Residues of industrial processes (e.g. slags, still bottoms,

s.sch001

Residues from pollution abatement processes (e.g. scrubber sludges, baghouse dusts, spent filters,

s.sch002

This paragraph applies to an appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission ( “the Commission”) under

s.sch002

This paragraph applies to an appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission under Article 36(5) or

s.sch002

This paragraph applies where, in accordance with paragraph (1) of Article 52, a district council

s.sch003

Overall objective

s.sch003

Policies in relation to preparing for re-use

s.sch003

Policies in relation to recycling targets and landfill reduction targets

s.sch003

The waste management plan may include provision about any of the following, taking into account

s.sch003

The economic instruments and other measures referred to in paragraph 2(3) are—

s.sch003

Application of the waste hierarchy

s.sch003

Protection of human health and the environment

s.sch003

Principles of self-sufficiency and proximity

s.sch003

Analysis of the current waste management situation etc.

s.sch003

General policies in relation to waste and litter

s.sch003

Policies in relation to packaging waste

s.sch003

Policies in relation to separate collection of waste

s.sch003

Policies in relation to bio-waste

s.sch004

In this Schedule “relevant power” means a power conferred by Article 72, including a power

s.sch004

If it is shown to the satisfaction of a justice of the peace on complaint

s.sch004

Subject to Article 72(9), information obtained in consequence of the exercise of a relevant power,

s.sch004

An authorised person who, in the exercise of a relevant power, enters on any premises

s.sch004

Where an authorised person exercises any power conferred by Article 72(2)(a) or (b) or (3),

Other sections — not classified into a Part

These sections exist in the Act but the contents-of-Parts walker did not place them under a Part. Likely amendments or sections inserted out of the original Part structure.

s.008

Grant of licences

  • Apply for a waste management licence using the official form Applicant
s.010

Variation of licences

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • NIEA must manage licence variations and respond to applications Statutory regulator
s.016

Supervision of licensed activities

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • NIEA must supervise licensed activities and can intervene in emergencies Statutory regulator
s.019

Waste management plan

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • The Department must maintain and review a Northern Ireland waste management plan Crown / Minister / Government department
s.025

Disposal of waste

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • District councils must provide waste disposal and recycling facilities Local authority
s.034

Public registers

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • NI Department and District Councils must maintain public waste registers Statutory regulator
s.037

Annual reports

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Department must publish an annual report on waste management and licensing Statutory regulator
s.063

Registers

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Enforcing authorities must maintain public registers of contaminated land Statutory regulator
s.074

Offences

2 years imprisonment
  • Obstructing an environmental inspector or failing to assist Any Person
s.076

Disclosure of information

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Regulators and councils may share information for pollution control Statutory regulator
s.080

Application to Crown

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Government and public service workers must follow this Order Crown / Minister / Government department
s.081

Financial provision

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Government department must pay fees received into the Consolidated Fund Crown / Minister / Government department
s.art004

Article 4 and 5 offences: investigation and enforcement costs

Unlimited fine
  • Pay costs for waste or vehicle seizure investigations Any Person
s.art004

Article 4 offences: clean-up costs

5 years imprisonment
  • Liability for waste clean-up and restoration costs Any Person
s.electronic waste tracking

Electronic waste tracking

  • Use the electronic system to track and identify waste Data Controller
s.fixed penalty notices for certain offences under a

Fixed penalty notices for certain offences under Article 5(8)

Unlimited fine
  • Fail to provide waste management documents Any Person
s.fixed penalty notices for offences under article 4

Fixed penalty notices for offences under Article 42

Unlimited fine
  • Fail to produce authority to transport waste Any Person
s.fixed penalty notices for offences under articles

Fixed penalty notices for offences under Articles 21 and 22

Unlimited fine
  • Breach of waste management or littering requirements Any Person
s.power of authorised officers of department to stop

Power of authorised officers of Department to stop vehicles

Unlimited fine
  • Failure to stop a vehicle when required by an authorized officer Any Person
s.power to search and seize vehicles etc

Power to search and seize vehicles etc

Unlimited fine
  • Obstructing vehicle search or failing to provide information Any Person
s.procedures following public participation

Procedures following public participation

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • The Department must publish and explain waste management plan decisions Crown / Minister / Government department
s.public participation procedures

Public participation procedures

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • NIEA must consult the public on waste management plan proposals Statutory regulator
s.seizure of vehicles etc : supplementary

Seizure of vehicles etc : supplementary

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Northern Ireland Environment Agency must follow rules for seized vehicles Statutory regulator
s.separate collection of food waste

Separate collection of food waste

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • District councils must provide food waste collection to all domestic properties Local authority
Browse 150 other unclassified sections
s.amount of fixed penalty under article 22a

Amount of fixed penalty under Article 22A

s.application of public participation procedures

Application of public participation procedures

s.art001

Title and commencement

s.art002

General interpretation

s.art003

Meaning of “fit and proper person”

s.art004

Prohibition on unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal, etc., of waste

s.art004

Fixed penalty notices for offences under Article 4

s.art004

Article 4 and 5 offences: forfeiture of vehicles

s.art005

Duty of care, etc., as respects waste

s.art005

Fixed penalty notices for certain offences under Article 5(8)

s.art005

Article 4 and 5 offences: investigation and enforcement costs

s.art005

Article 4 offences: clean-up costs

s.art005

Article 4 and 5 offences: forfeiture of vehicles

s.art005

Power to search and seize vehicles etc

s.art005

Seizure of vehicles etc: supplementary

s.art005

Electronic waste tracking

s.art005

Further provision about regulations under Article 5G

s.art006

Waste management licences: general

s.art007

Compensation where rights granted pursuant to Article 6(4) or 12(9)

s.art008

Grant of licences

s.art009

Consultation before the grant of certain licences

s.art010

Variation of licences

s.art011

Consultation before certain variations

s.art012

Revocation and suspension of licences

s.art013

Surrender of licences

s.art014

Transfer of licences

s.art015

Fees and charges for licences

s.art016

Supervision of licensed activities

s.art017

Appeals from decisions with respect to licences

s.art018

Offences of making false or misleading statements or false entries

s.art019

Waste management plan

s.art019

Application of public participation procedures

s.art019

Public participation procedures

s.art019

Procedures following public participation

s.art020

Collection of controlled waste

s.art020

Separate collection of food waste

s.art021

Receptacles for household waste

s.art022

Receptacles for commercial or industrial waste

s.art022

Fixed penalty notices for offences under Articles 21 and 22

s.art022

Amount of fixed penalty under Article 22A

s.art022

Use of fixed penalty receipts

s.art023

Waste management plans by district councils

s.art024

Payments for recycling and disposal, etc., of waste

s.art025

Disposal of waste

s.art026

Powers for recycling waste

s.art027

Power of Department to require waste to be accepted, treated, disposed of or delivered

s.art028

Power to require removal of waste unlawfully deposited

s.art028

The “appropriate person”

s.art028

Reserve powers of enforcing authority

s.art029

Interference with waste sites and receptacles for waste

s.art030

Special provision with respect to certain dangerous or intractable waste

s.art031

Waste other than controlled waste

s.art032

Power to prohibit or restrict the use, supply or storage of injurious substances or articles

s.art033

Power to obtain information about potentially hazardous substances

s.art034

Public registers

s.art035

Exclusion from registers of information affecting national security

s.art036

Exclusion from registers of certain confidential information

s.art037

Annual reports

s.art038

Offence of transporting controlled waste without registering

s.art039

Registration of carriers

s.art040

Restrictions on power under Article 39

s.art041

Appeals against refusal of registration, etc.

s.art042

Duty to produce authority to transport controlled waste

s.art042

Seizure of vehicles etc: supplementary

s.art042

Fixed penalty notices for offences under Article 42

s.art043

Seizure and disposal of vehicles used for illegal waste disposal

s.art044

Obtaining of information

s.art045

Provisions relating to legal proceedings and civil liability

s.art046

Supplementary provisions relating to pipes

s.art047

Transitional provisions with respect to licences

s.art048

This Part and radioactive substances

s.art049

Interpretation of Part III

s.art050

Identification of contaminated land

s.art051

Identification and designation of special sites

s.art052

Referral of special site decisions to the Planning Appeals Commission

s.art053

Duty of enforcing authority to require remediation of contaminated land,

s.art054

Determination of the appropriate person to bear responsibility for remediation

s.art055

Grant of, and compensation for, rights of entry, etc.

s.art056

Restrictions and prohibitions on serving remediation notices

s.art056

Restrictions on liability relating to the pollution of waterways and underground strata

s.art057

Liability in respect of contaminating substances which escape to other land

s.art058

Appeals against remediation notices

s.art059

Offences of not complying with a remediation notice

s.art060

Powers of the enforcing authority to carry out remediation

s.art061

Recovery of, and security for, the cost of remediation by the enforcing authority

s.art062

Special sites

s.art063

Registers

s.art064

Exclusion from registers of information affecting national security

s.art065

Exclusion from registers of certain confidential information

s.art066

Reports by the Department on the state of contaminated land

s.art067

Guidance by the Department concerning contaminated land

s.art068

Supplementary provisions

s.art069

Supplementary provisions with respect to guidance by the Department

s.art070

Interaction of this Part with other statutory provisions

s.art071

This Part and radioactivity

s.art072

Powers of enforcing authorities and persons authorised by them

s.art073

Power to deal with cause of imminent danger of serious pollution etc.

s.art073

Power of authorised officers of Department to stop vehicles

s.art074

Offences

s.art075

Evidence in connection with certain pollution offences

s.art076

Disclosure of information

s.art076

Power to make charging schemes

s.art077

Power to give effect to assimilated obligations and other international obligations, etc.

s.art078

Offences by bodies corporate

s.art079

Offences under this Order due to fault of others

s.art080

Application to Crown

s.art081

Financial provision

s.art082

Orders, regulations and directions

s.further provision about regulations under article

Further provision about regulations under Article 5G

s.paragraph/p6

Article 83—Amendments and repeals

s.power to make charging schemes

Power to make charging schemes

s.reserve powers of enforcing authority

Reserve powers of enforcing authority

s.restrictions on liability relating to the pollutio

Restrictions on liability relating to the pollution of waterways and underground strata

s.the “appropriate person”

The “appropriate person”

s.use of fixed penalty receipts

Use of fixed penalty receipts

Enforcement and responsible bodies

The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.

Northern Ireland Environment Agency

Northern Ireland's environmental regulator. Part of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Issues environmental permits, regulates waste and emissions, …

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Regulators

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