25
Accepted
Soil contamination is a well-known yet not well-understood problem.
Recommendation
Soil contamination is a well-known yet not well-understood problem. There has been a longstanding and unacceptable failure to remediate historical soil contamination that acts as a barrier to nature recovery. As for contamination through agricultural inputs, the Government should also improve controls and protocols—both for their production and application—to give the sector more confidence to use these more freely. It is particularly disappointing that regulatory updates for sewage sludge have not yet happened. However, the most effective measure to tackle soil contamination is to prevent it in the first place.
Government Response Summary
The Environment Agency is actively investigating sludge quality and reviewing regulatory delivery for organic inputs like sewage sludge and composts. New ‘end of waste’ Resource Frameworks and amended permits are due by 2026/27, directly addressing the call for improved controls and protocols.
Paragraph Reference
92
Government Response
Accepted
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Environment Agency’s Materials to Land Sector Group enables safe and sustainable land spreading of manures and waste derived soil conditioners. The Group engages nationally with Trade Bodies, locally with operators, and works with producers (Biowaste Treatment Sector) and the main users (Agriculture Sector). The Environment Agency is investigating sludge quality through the water industry’s Chemical Investigation Programme. The Environment Agency is reviewing its regulatory delivery for several areas including: use in agriculture of sewage sludge and septic tank sludge; composts, digestates and ashes which have end of waste; and wastes which are spread to land under Environmental Permitting Regulation (EPR) controls. New ‘end of waste’ Resource Frameworks and amended EPR permits and exemptions are due by 2026/27.
Timeline
Recommendation age
2.5 yrs
Report published
05 Dec 2023