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Food and other organic wastes can be treated by composting and anaerobic digestion to produce valuable resources such as fertiliser and biogas. Composting and anaerobic digestion are increasingly being used as an alternative to landfill and we have an important role to play in ensuring these are correctly managed and regulated. What is composting? Composting is the autothermic (self-heating) and t

Can I view the maps full screen?No. The maps can only be viewed within the set frame. Why has the background on the maps changed (2019)?Due to changes to the contract associated with the supply of the background mapping to SEPA, we now have a different background on display. This change took place in December 2018. There are no significant changes to what is displayed, and the mapping presented ha

SEPA is responsible for reporting national waste statistics to the Scottish Government and European Union among others. As regulator, SEPA also has a duty to assess whether waste management sites comply with the conditions of their licence or permit. To do this, SEPA collects and verifies data from a number of sources, mainly: Operators of all licensed and most permitted waste management sites Op

Scotland’s soils are an important natural resource providing a wide range of benefits for people, the environment and the economy. It is essential to protect soils to ensure they are able to continue to provide these benefits for future generations. Why are soils important? Soils are a vital natural resource as they carry out a wide range of essential functions, such as growing food and timber, co

The LIFE SMART Waste project (LIFE13-ENV/UK/000549) is an innovative partnership between key European bodies addressing waste crime. The project commenced in June 2014 and will run until May 2020. Background Waste streams that are of low quality and value, or are difficult to treat, persistently attract criminal activities that pro

Making a marine pen fish farm application for a SEPA permit requires a substantial amount of supporting information. In simple terms the following information needs to be collected: an understanding of how the proposal may impact on local communities. At pre-application stage, you should get this by engaging with the communities that may be affected bathymetry and current data to understand how m

Regulation of engineering works in the water environment and the application process. Water engineering authorisations We are now able to accept pre-application proposals, new applications, variations, transfers and surrenders. We would strongly encourage pre-application enquiries prior to submitting applications. What should you do now? Email application forms along with supporting information to registry@sepa.org.uk Email pre-application proposal and supporting information to wa

An introduction to our river basin planning work. River basin management planning (RBMP) protects and improves Scotland’s water environment for the benefit of people, wildlife and the economy. Much of the water environment in Scotland is in good condition. However, there are still significant problems affecting water quality, physical condition, water resources, and the migration of wild fish. The River Basin Management Plans for Scotland set ou

Pen layout changes at marine finfish farms Published: March 2024 1. Authorisation of pen layout changes 1.1 All pen layout changes require prior-authorisation from SEPA. To obtain authorisation, operators must apply to SEPA to very their existing SEPA permit. 1.2 All such applications will be subject to screening, environmental risk assessment (see section 2). This assessment will determine whethe

Link page to waste data pages. Data returns Many environmental licences include a requirement to submit data returns or other reporting requirements on an annual or quarterly basis. What should you do? We are now actively reviewing many of the data returns and kindly request you to submit any outstanding returns for the following areas: Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) - SPRI returns are due by the 28th of February e