This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Environment and Agriculture announcements
25/03/2003
The Executive today made the following environmental and
agricultural announcements:
Farmers and crofters planning to convert uncultivated or
semi-natural land into intensive agricultural use this year
were reminded of the requirements of the Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) (Uncultivated Land etc) (Scotland)
Regulations 2002.
Environmental Impact Assessment is a procedure for
considering and assessing the potential impact of land use
change.
Further information is available from SEERAD Area
Offices and Sub Offices. An application form, guidelines
and other information for farmers and crofters can be
accessed on
www.scotland.gov.uk/agri/eia/default.asp.
New regulations to establish stringent controls over the
incineration of waste in Scotland, have also been
announced.
The controls introduce strict operating conditions and
set minimum technical requirements for incinerators in
Scotland. These include municipal waste incinerators,
clinical waste incinerators, powers stations, animal
remains incinerators, and plants that burn waste as a
fuel.
The new controls will apply to all new incinerators
from December 28, 2002, and to existing incinerators from
December 28, 2005. They are in line with a European
Commission Directive on the Incineration of Waste, designed
to prevent or limit negative effects on the environment and
the resulting risk to human health.
The new controls will be enforced by the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Operators of
incinerators must apply for a permit from SEPA, which
contain conditions to ensure that plants comply with the
new controls.
The Executive has published its response to the Royal
Commission on Environmental Pollution's (RCEP)
Twenty-Second Report, Energy - The Changing Climate.
It expands on the UK government response, published last
month, in relation to the RCEP recommendations addressed to
the devolved administrations, and welcomes the UK
Government's decision to put the UK on a path towards
reducing carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent by
about 2050.