Animal By-Products Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Regulations 15, 19 and 36

SCHEDULE 1ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BIOGAS AND COMPOSTING PLANTS

PART Ipremises

1.—(1) There shall be –

(a)a reception area in which untreated animal by-products (including catering waste) are received,

(b)an area in which vehicles and containers are cleansed and disinfected with adequate facilities for doing this, and

(c)a clean area in which treated compost or digestion residues are stored.

(2) The clean area shall be adequately separated from the reception area and the area in which vehicles and containers are cleansed and disinfected so as to prevent contamination of the treated material. Floors shall be laid so that liquid cannot seep into the clean area from the other areas.

(3) The reception area shall be easy to clean and disinfect and shall have an enclosed and lockable place or container to receive and store the untreated animal by-products.

2.  The animal by-products shall be unloaded in the reception area and either –

(a)treated immediately; or

(b)stored in the reception area and treated without undue delay.

3.  The plant shall be operated in such a way that –

(a)treated material is not contaminated by untreated or partially treated material or liquids arising from it, and

(b)partially treated material is not contaminated with material which has not been treated to the same extent or liquids arising from it.

4.  The operator shall identify, control and monitor suitable critical points in the operation of the plant to demonstrate that –

(a)these Regulations and the Community Regulation are complied with;

(b)treated material is not contaminated by untreated or partially treated material or liquids arising from it; and

(c)partially treated material is not contaminated with material which has not been treated to the same extent or liquids arising from it.

5.  Containers, receptacles and vehicles used for transporting untreated animal by-products shall be cleaned in the dedicated area before they leave the premises and before any treated material is loaded. In the case of vehicles transporting only untreated catering waste and not subsequently transporting treated material, only the wheels of the vehicle need be cleaned.

PART IItreatment systems and parameters for catering waste

1.  Unless an approval specifically permits a different system, catering waste shall be treated by one of the systems specified in the table below. The system shall ensure that the material is treated to the following parameters:

The time temperature requirements shall be achieved as part of the composting process.

2.  The approval shall normally specify one of the methods in the table, but the Department may approve a different system if it is satisfied that it achieves the same reduction in pathogens as those methods (including any additional conditions imposed on those methods) in which case the approval shall fully describe the whole system.

Composting plants

3.  If the approval for a composting plant specifies one of the methods in the table, it shall specify which one and, in addition, shall have as a condition either that –

(a)measures shall be taken at source to ensure that meat was not included in the catering waste and that following treatment the material is stored for at least 18 days, or

(b)following the first treatment, the material shall be treated again using one of the methods in the table and specified in the approval (not necessarily the same method as was used for the first treatment) except that, if the treatment is in a windrow, the second treatment need not be in a housed windrow.

Biogas plants

4.  The approval for a biogas plant shall specify one of the methods in the table and in addition require that either –

(a)measures were taken at source to ensure that meat was not included in the catering waste; or

(b)following treatment the material is stored for an average of 18 days after treatment (storage need not be in an enclosed system).