Dunbar Energy Recovery Facility, Oxwellmains Landfill, Dunbar, East Lothian

Introduction

On 30 May 2022 SEPA received an application from Dunbar Waste Services Limited for a substantial variation to the Permit number PPC/A/1032878/ CP01, as varied, for their energy from waste (EFW) facility at Dunbar, East Lothian. This activity is regulated under the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (commonly known as PPC).

The initial four week public consultation on the application began on 13 June 2022. A further consultation will be undertaken by SEPA on any draft variation to the permit for the facility. The full determination process, including the next steps, is set out below.

SEPA’s role

SEPA is the public body tasked with protecting and reporting on the state of the environment of Scotland. We do this by regulating activities that can cause pollution, by monitoring the quality of Scotland’s air, land and water and by working to enable those we regulate to comply with the legislation.

SEPA has examined the application documents received and is content that there is sufficient information to begin the determination process. If further information is required to complete the process, Dunbar Waste Services Limited will have to provide it.

The determination process

Dunbar Waste Services Limited will place adverts in the relevant local newspaper(s) and the Edinburgh Gazette. These let the public know that an application has been submitted, where it can be viewed and where they can send relevant comments they would like SEPA to consider.
There is then a four week period, ending on 11 July 2022, for the public to make comments. Representations out with this period can still be made to the email address detailed below.
The application has been sent, by SEPA, to statutory consultees, including the Health Board, Local Authority, Food Standards Agency, Scottish Water and NatureScot.
SEPA has a legal duty to take regard of comments made during the formal 28 day consultation period. SEPA may consider representations made out with the consultation period.
If SEPA issues a Notice requiring further information, it has a duty to make available any further information submitted onto the Public Register. However, on Christmas Eve 2020, SEPA was subject to a serious and complex cyber-attack which has significantly impacted our internal systems, processes and communications, visit our web page for more information. As a result, access to the Public Register is not currently available. Information can be requested via email to registry@sepa.org.uk however due to the size of documentation it may not be able to be forwarded via email. SEPA will, in addition, update this webpage to advise if further information becomes available.
Although, in this application, SEPA will consider any relevant representations made by the public about any further information submitted, it will not hold any further formal or public consultation until it has prepared a draft decision (see below).
Written representations will be placed on the Public Register unless people advised in writing, at the same time as they made the representation, that they wished it to be kept from the Register. As previously stated, due to the cyber-attack the public register is not available at this time, however, information can be requested via email to registry@sepa.org.uk subject to limitations on size of documents. SEPA has summary information for this application available via the link below.
For Energy from Waste Applications, SEPA has decided to make these publicly available via our web-site. However, due to the cyber-attack and file size restrictions now in place, please now contact our Registry team for any additional information (as per details below):

SEPA has four months from the application date to consider the information in the application and any additional information provided during the consultation process. We will then produce a draft decision document, which may include a draft Permit.
A longer period could be agreed with Dunbar Waste Services Limited, and if additional information is required to complete the decision process the determination time would automatically be extended.
Having reviewed the application, SEPA’s draft decision (including any draft Permit or draft refusal Notice) will follow a further period of public consultation. This will be published by SEPA on our consultation hub.

Supporting documents

The non-technical summary and other key documents are available below. Electronic copies of the full application can be requested by email to registry@sepa.org.uk

Permit application