Environmentally hazardous activities

Environmentally hazardous activities means the use of land, buildings and installations which in any way involves emissions to land, air or water or poses any other risk of harm to human health or the environment. Examples of activities considered to be environmentally hazardous are agriculture, various types of industry, sewage treatment plants and others.

Is a permit or notification required for my business?

The legislation classifies activities as A, B, C or U activities, depending on their scale and environmental impact. To establish or operate certain types of activities, a permit or a notification is required. The Environmental Permit Regulation specifies which activities require this.

Obligation to obtain authorisation

Activities requiring permits have a major impact on the environment, such as large engineering industries and quarries. Activities classified as A activities require a permit from the Environmental Court and B activities require a permit from the County Administrative Board.

Obligation to notify

Notifiable activities are classified as C activities. C activities must be notified to the municipality at least six weeks before the planned start of the activity. Examples of notifiable activities are large petrol stations, waste management, small sawmills and industries.

No trial

Activities that do not require a permit or notification are called U activities. These activities are still subject to the rules of the Environmental Code and can affect the environment in different ways. The municipality supervises these activities and can require protective measures. For example, car repair shops and small farms are considered U-activities.

What does the law say?

Operators are responsible for investigating and examining disturbances from their activities. The operator is also responsible for rectifying deficiencies. The operator must also establish procedures for the control of its activities, known as self-checking. To do this, the operator must have sufficient knowledge of the risks associated with its activities and establish procedures to manage the risks.