NEW GUIDE FOR DEPOLLUTING VEHICLES OVER 3.5 TONNES
16 Dec 2004 11:45 AM
Defra today launched a new guide for vehicle breakers on how to
depollute vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, including buses and coaches, so
that they comply with the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003.
End-of-life Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) have many pollutants
associated with them and are classified as hazardous waste.
Legislation requires that end-of-life HGVs are depolluted to remove
their hazardous components and fluids.
The new guide will not only help vehicle breakers meet the new
regulations but will help to ensure that breakers can cash in on the
considerable resale market for parts, both in the UK and abroad.
The guide also provides a brief overview of the equipment and
facilities relevant to depolluting HGVs as well as a description of
the depolluting operations that need to be conducted to meet the
requirements of the relevant legislation.
The depollution process for heavy goods vehicles is very different
from that for cars and small commercial vehicles. The variety of
vehicle designs means that each lorry must be cut according to its
construction and depolluted as each part becomes accessible. However,
to maintain their value, vehicle parts need to be stored with their
fluids intact.
The new guidance draws on best practice and considers the commercial
requirements for vehicle breakers' sites in the context of other
environmental legislation.
The guide, 'Depollution Guidance for End-of-Life Vehicles over 3.5
tonnes' is available from
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/topics/elvehicledir.htm
Notes to Editors
1. The End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulations 2003, which transpose
parts of the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, came into force on 3
November last year. They require all sites keeping or treating
un-depolluted end-of-life vehicles to acquire a Site Licence to act
as an Authorised Treatment Facility.
2. The keeping and treatment requirements of the ELV Regulations 2003
apply to all waste motor vehicles, both those defined in the
End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (predominantly private cars and small
commercial vehicles) and waste vehicles over 3.5 tonnes in weight,
including HGVs, buses and coaches.
3. Although waste vehicles over 3.5 tonnes in weight will not be
subject to producer responsibility recycling targets, the End-of-Life
Vehicles Regulations 2003 do require that they are depolluted in
order to achieve a non-hazardous waste.
4. Further information and guidance is available from:
* The Directive -
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2000/l_269/l_26920001021en00340042.pdf
* NetRegs - www.netregs.gov.uk - advice to small businesses from the
UK's environmental regulators on how to comply with environmental
legislation. Advice and guidance is tailored to over 100 business
sectors.
* Guidance on the Standards for Storage and Treatment of End-of-life
vehicles -
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/elvguidance_v1.2_591023.pdf
* Dti - www.dti.gov.uk
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