This page provides links to the full text of key pieces of land environmental legislation that may affect your business in Northern Ireland. The websites hosting the legislation may list amendments separately.
Land legislation for Northern Ireland covers nature conservation, pollution from agricultural operations, contaminated land (including radioactive contamination) and liability for environmental damage.
If you are setting up an environmental management system (EMS) for your business, you can use this list to start compiling your legal register. Your legal adviser or environmental consultant will be able to tell you if other environmental legislation applies to your specific business.
-
Sets out specifications for new buildings; including fuel and power conservation, sound insulation, solid waste in buildings, combustion appliances and fuel storage systems.
-
Approves four British Standards Institution codes of practice for appropriate methods of minimising noise and vibration from construction and open sites in Northern Ireland.
-
Sets out conditions for making silage and storing slurry and fuel oil, with limited exceptions.
-
Sets out measures for forestry projects.
-
Brings into force rules to force polluters to prevent and repair damage to water systems, land quality, species and their habitats and protected sites. The polluter does not have to be prosecuted first, so remedying the damage should be faster.
-
Amends 2009/252 to update how warrants can be issued and enforced, give magistrates more flexibility in the fines they can apply for conviction and to clarify that references to European legislation include any future amendments.
-
Amends 2009/252 to include the geological storage of carbon dioxide as an activity for which operators will be liable if environmental damage is caused.
-
Sets up a DARDNI grant scheme for providing and replacing facilities to store and collect farm animal waste and separate rain water.
-
Amends 2005/5 to increase the grant rate from 40% to 60%.
-
Introduces classification systems in line with EU developments, makes it an offence to discharge listed substances without an authorisation, controls issuing and reviews of authorisations and consents. Covers enforcement, codes of practice and penalties.
-
Assigns landfill limits to councils, sets out how to borrow and transfer limits between councils and how the scheme will be monitored by the NIEA.
-
Introduces permits to create and operate a landfill, and sets out which categories of waste can be accepted at each class of landfill site. Also sets out a pollution control regime.
-
Amends 2003/496 with details of what wastes can and cannot be accepted at particular landfill sites.
-
Amends 2003/496 by changing duties of landfill operators, making it an offence to accept agricultural, mine or quarry waste, altering procedures for closing a landfill and requirements for hazardous waste landfill applications.
-
Amends 2003/496 to update the criteria for granular and monoloithis waste to be accepted for landfill, plus monitoring and testing requirements.
