The Environment Agency recognises the difficulties businesses are facing as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). The government expect businesses to use contingency plans to help them comply with regulatory requirements and minimise unavoidable non-compliance.
To help businesses cope with disruption, we have published temporary COVID-19 regulatory position statements (COVID-19 RPSs).
These COVID-19 RPSs will help minimise risks to the environment and human health where, for reasons beyond your control, compliance with certain regulatory requirements is not possible due to coronavirus (COVID-19). They also cover specific circumstances where we are relaxing normal regulatory requirements to avoid increasing risks to the environment or human health during the particular circumstances of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Each COVID-19 RPS sets out when they apply and the conditions you must comply with. You must still comply with all of your other environmental regulatory requirements.
If you wish to use a COVID-19 RPS you must comply with both its:
- specific conditions – including any requirements to notify us or get our approval to use it
- requirements concerning pollution and harm to human health
Enforcement action will not normally be taken against you if you comply.
For more information:
Monitoring and reporting:
Monitoring emissions from installations, radioactive substances and waste activities: RPS C7
Wate Management (excluding radioactive waste)
Storing or treating COVID-19 cleansing waste at a healthcare waste management facility: RPS C1
Incinerating specified healthcare wastes at a municipal waste incinerator: RPS C4
PPE waste from home healthcare workers treating patients with COVID-19: RPS C5
COVID-19 and packaging waste: registering as a packaging producer: RPS C9