Our standard rules are listed below. For each facility there is a set of rules, guidance on how to comply with the rules and a risk assessment.
We may place limits on the proximity of your activity to nature conservation sites or specify whether any point source emissions are allowed.
Applying for a standard permit saves you time and money. However, before you decide to apply you need to be aware of some important characteristics:
- You cannot vary the rules and you have no right of appeal against them;
- If you want to change your operations so that a standard permit no longer works for your operation you will have to apply to change your permit to make it bespoke instead;
- If there is a change in your local environment after your permit has been issued (for example due to a change in the definition of a groundwater source protection zone), you may need to upgrade the operation to a standard sufficient for the changed environment, or apply to change to a bespoke permit.
- For standard permit discharges to surface waters, the annual subsistence charge will start from the date the permit is issued. We recommended that you do not apply for a standard permit significantly ahead of when it is required unless you accept payment of these charges. There are currently no standard rules permits for sewage effluent to ground/groundwater.
A standard permit can include more than one set of rules, so you can have one permit for a number of facilities. For example, you could have one standard permit to operate a waste transfer station and a mining waste operation.
Standard permit facilities
Read through the list of standard rules sets below. If the activity you want to undertake seems to be covered by one of the standard rules, select the link and read carefully through the full standard rules set and associated generic risks assessment.
Make sure you understand the standard rules set, that it describes exactly what you want to do and that you will be able to meet the requirements of the rules. If you cannot comply with any of the standard rules, you must apply for a bespoke permit:
Waste operations
If you run a waste operation then you will find standard permits for waste operations listed on the following page:
If you produce or hold hazardous waste at any premises in England and Wales, you must also register this each year even if you hold an environmental permit, unless the total quantity is less than 500kg a year:
Installations
Water discharge activities
Groundwater activities
We intend to launch the standard rules set for the discharge of enzyme treated sheep dip, subject to final approval, as soon as sufficient stock of an acceptable enzyme treatment product becomes available. Please follow the link below for further information:
Radioactive substance activities
Mining waste operations
