You must follow this guide if you own polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), or any of the following substances that are also collectively known as PCBs:

• polychlorinated terphenyls
• monomethyl-dibromo-diphenyl methane
• monomethyl-dichloro-diphenyl methane
• monomethyl-tetrachlorodiphenyl methane

You must also follow this guide if you own or operate equipment or material that contains any of these PCBs at a concentration higher than 50 parts per million (0.005%).

Ban on PCBs

PCBs are banned. You must dispose of PCBs, and equipment or material that contains them, as soon as possible unless they’re covered by an exception.

Exceptions to the PCB ban

Research or disposal

The ban does not apply to PCBs held:

• for research and analysis into the properties of PCBs
• as part of a process to dispose of PCBs (for example at a hazardous waste disposal site) or a process to remove (‘decontaminate’) PCBs from equipment

Transformers

You can continue to use transformers if the fluid in the transformer has a PCB concentration below 500 parts per million (0.05%).

You must dispose of the transformer as soon as possible after the end of its useful life.

Small components of equipment

You can continue to use small pieces of equipment that contain PCBs if both of the following apply:

• they’re not CE
• they’re components of larger pieces of equipment, which are not CE either

The exception for smaller equipment is meant to avoid you having to destroy or damage a large piece of equipment to remove the PCBs contained in a small component. The exception does not apply if it’s practical for you to remove the smaller component and get rid of the PCBs without damaging the larger machine.

Contaminated equipment (CE)

Any equipment that contains more than 5 litres of fluid containing PCBs (or more than 5 litres of fluid that has a PCB concentration of more than 0.005%) is classed as CE.

You must generally assume the following equipment is CE if it was manufactured before 1987 and contains more than 5 litres of fluid:

• power factor capacitors
• heat transfer equipment
• pole-mounted transformers
• process heating equipment
• vacuum pumps
• high temperature hydraulic systems
• electrical resistors
• brushings and other high voltage equipment
• fluorescent light ballasts
• hospital diagnostic equipment

You do not have to assume such equipment is CE if you’re certain it does not contain PCBs, for example if you have:

• carried out tests on the equipment that showed it does not contain PCBs
• kept the original manufacturers’ manual and it shows the equipment does not contain PCBs

If you’re not sure whether your equipment contains PCBs, you must assume it does.

Combined sets of equipment

Email pcb-enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk if you hold several pieces of equipment that would not be classed as CE on their own, but are part of a combined set which would be classed as CE.

This would apply, for example, if you have a piece of equipment that contains multiple capacitors which individually contain less than 5 litres of fluid, but collectively contain more than 5 litres of fluid.

The Environment Agency will discuss this with you on a case-by-case basis.

Register CE

You must register any CE that you own with the Environment Agency, including CE that:

• has a legal use (for example transformers with a PCB concentration below 0.05%)
• does not have a legal use, but you have not disposed of yet (you must tell the Environment Agency how you plan to dispose of it as soon as possible)

Complete a PCB holdings registration form and return it to the Environment Agency as soon as possible.

You must re-register your equipment every year until you stop holding CE. To do this send a new PCB holdings registration form to the Environment Agency, listing all CE you hold on 31 July each year.

You must pay a £155 fee every year when you submit your PCB holdings registration form.

If you become the owner of CE (for example if you buy a business that operates such equipment), you must register the equipment even if it’s been registered before.

Take CE off the register

You can take CE off the PCB register:

• after you have disposed of it
• if you sell it, or you sell the business or site it was part of
• if you have carried out tests that prove it does not contain PCBs
• if you have decontaminated it, so that the PCB content of the fluid is less than 0.005%

You can take equipment off the register at any time by completing the ‘de-registering equipment’ section of the PCB holdings registration form and returning it to the Environment Agency.

There’s no charge for deregistering equipment.

Labelling CE and premises

You must attach a label to any CE stating that the equipment is contaminated with PCBs.

You must also attach a sign to the premises where the equipment is used stating that the premises contains equipment contaminated by PCBs.

You must make sure the labels and signs are clearly visible and cannot be easily removed.

For transformers where the fluid has a PCB content of less than 0.05%, your label and sign can say, ‘PCBs contaminated <0.05%’.

Dispose of PCBs

You must dispose of PCBs and materials that contain PCBs as a persistent organic pollutant and hazardous waste.

That means you can either:

• dispose of the PCBs or equipment in a way that destroys the PCB content
• apply to permanently store the equipment underground if you cannot destroy the PCB content

Email pcb-enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk to discuss how to do this.

You must keep records to show that you disposed of the PCBs by one of these 2 methods.

Posters to remind anglers to buy a fishing licence.

The Environment Agency welcomes support from fisheries and angling shops. Please print out and display these posters to remind your customers to fish legally.

It’s easy to buy a fishing licence online. You can also check the rules about freshwater fishing.

You must follow these rules if you store silage, slurry or agricultural fuel oil.

You need to know the general rules that apply if you store any of the 3 substances, as well as specific rules for storing and handling each one.

General rules

Who’s responsible

You’re responsible for making sure you meet the rules if you control, manage or look after a farm or an installation on a property, eg as a:

• farmer or land manager
• tenant farmer – unless you can prove someone else, eg the leaseholder, is jointly or wholly responsible

New storage and substantial changes

A new or substantially changed store must:

• follow the specific rules for the substance you’re storing
• have an expected lifespan of at least 20 years with maintenance (any part of a silage effluent tank that’s underground must last 20 years without maintenance)
• be at least 10 metres clear of inland or coastal waters – you may need a larger ‘safety zone’ in some cases, eg near a water supply intake

Although your store itself must be at least 10 metres clear of inland or coastal waters, drains and sealed pipes can be within 10 metres of these features if the Environment Agency agrees an exception. Ask for an exception when you tell the Environment Agency about your project.

Exempt storage

If your installation was built before March 1991, or a contract for construction was entered into before March 1991 and completed before September 1991, it’s exempt from the rules for new stores. However, if you make substantial changes – for example structural changes, increasing capacity or relocating – your store is no longer exempt.

The Environment Agency can also serve a notice at any time requiring you to bring storage up to the current standards if it believes there’s a significant risk of pollution.

Before you start work

It’s up to you to decide what planning and work is needed but you must:

• tell the Environment Agency at least 14 days before you begin construction – you can also contact them for advice on planning and building a store
• make sure you don’t pollute the surrounding environment – eg rivers or other watercourses
• check if you also need planning permission

Once your storage is built you must carry out maintenance to make sure there’s no risk of pollution.

Tell the Environment Agency

You must notify the Environment Agency at least 14 days before you build new storage for silage, slurry or agricultural fuel oil, or make substantial changes to an existing store.

Contact your local office

Call or write to your local Environment Agency office.

Tell them:

• your name, address, telephone number and email address
• the type of store you’re proposing to build or change
• the exact location of the site (8-figure grid reference)

You’ll need to supply the following when you contact the Environment Agency so they can assess your proposal:

• a site plan drawing of the structure
• a design drawing confirming the materials that will be used and their design, specification and layout – you may also be asked to confirm that your design meets the requirements of BS 5502
• if you plan to use prefabricated products, a copy of the manufacturer’s specifications and guarantee
• if the structure is constructed from earth, analysis about the soil type, depth and permeability and a description of how it will be engineered
• for underground or partially underground silage effluent tanks you’ll need a certification from the installer – you must provide this certification to the Environment Agency because the tank is required to perform for at least 20 years without maintenance.

You’ll usually get a written assessment of your proposal that says whether it’s been approved or not. The Environment Agency may contact you, rather than giving you a written assessment, to give you guidance on changes you need to make to your installation before it can be approved.

Silage

There are specific rules for making and storing silage.

The rules do not apply to silage you store temporarily in a container or trailer for transportation.

Where to store silage

You must not make or store any silage, or unwrap baled silage, within 10 metres of inland or coastal waters.

In addition you must not store field silage within 50 metres of a ‘protected water supply source’. This is any place where water is abstracted (taken) for any of the following purposes:

• human consumption
• use in farm dairies
• human food preparation

Ask the Environment Agency about protected water sources or use the ‘What’s in my backyard?’ map to check your local area.

Silos

All parts of a silo must be resistant to attack. Your silo must have:

• an impermeable base extending beyond any walls
• impermeable drainage collection channels around the outside, flowing into an effluent tank

The base must comply with:

• British Standard 8007:1987 and British Standard 8110-1:1997 (for concrete bases)
• British Standard 594/EN 13108-4:2006 (for hot-rolled asphalt bases)

If your silo has walls, they must withstand wall loadings set in British Standard 5502-22:2003+A1:2013..

Ask your manufacturer, or check the manual that came with your equipment, to find out if it meets these British Standards.

Effluent tanks

Your silo must have an effluent collection system.

If all parts of an effluent tank are above ground, the tank must be constructed to resist attack from silage effluent for at least 20 years with maintenance. If any part is below ground, it should be impermeable for at least 20 years without maintenance. You’ll be asked to prove your tank is suitable, for example with a manufacturer’s guarantee.

Capacity

The minimum capacity rules for effluent tanks should give you at least 2 days’ storage at peak flow. However, it’s up to you to ensure you’ve enough capacity to avoid the risk of pollution.

Silo capacity	Minimum effluent tank capacity
Up to 1,500 cubic metres	20 litres for each cubic metre
Over 1,500 cubic metres	30 cubic metres, plus 6.7 litres for each cubic metre of silo capacity over 1,500 cubic metres

Baled silage

Baled silage must be sealed in an impermeable membrane or bagged. It doesn’t need a specially constructed base, but you must make sure any silage stored directly on the ground cannot leak into a water source.

Baled silage must be kept at least 10 metres clear of inland or coastal waters.

Field silage and non-baled bags

For silage to be stored as ‘field silage’ there must be no construction works, for example walls or earth banks, and topsoil must not be disturbed.

If you make field silage or non-baled bags, you must:

• choose a suitable site – for example if you store silage in a non-baled bag in your farmyard, you must make sure you can contain any drainage
• notify your local Environment Agency office at least 14 days before you first use the site

Notify the Environment Agency

Use form WQE4 to tell the Environment Agency if you intend to make or store field silage. Give at least 14 days’ notice.

Send the completed form to your local Environment Office.

Slurry

There are specific rules when you make and store slurry, including in earth-banked stores.

Run-off from solid manure stores, woodchip, or straw-bedded corrals or stand-off pads counts as slurry. You must collect and store it either separately or in your main slurry store.

The rules do not apply to slurry you store temporarily in a container or trailer for transportation.

Where to store slurry

You must not site slurry storage tanks, effluent tanks, channels or reception pits within 10 metres of inland or coastal waters without written agreement from the Environment Agency.

All slurry stores

Slurry tanks, reception pits, pipes and channels must be impermeable and meet the anti-corrosion standards set in British Standard 5502-50:1993+A2:2010. They should last for at least 20 years with maintenance.

The base and walls of your slurry tank and any reception pit must withstand the wall loadings set in the standard.

Capacity

When calculating the required capacity of your steel or concrete store, you’ll need to include a minimum of 300 millimetres of freeboard. For earth-banked stores you’ll need a minimum of 750 millimetres, and you must maintain this freeboard during use. Freeboard is the vertical distance between the crest of your tank or lagoon and the slurry surface.

You’ll normally need capacity for at least 4 months’ slurry storage. What this means for you will depend on how much slurry you use, the size of your tanks and expected rainfall.

Use MANNER NPK to work out your average winter rainfall (November to February). Add an extra 25% to your calculation to take account of wetter than average winters.

If you’re in an area with above average rainfall, you’ll need more capacity. Speak to the Environment Agency or a consultant if you’re unsure how much you’ll need.

Any temporary storage facilities you have – such as a reception pit – must be large enough to store a minimum of 2 days’ combined slurry production and likely rainfall.

Drainage pipes

If your slurry tank, effluent tank or reception pit is fitted with a drainage pipe, it must have 2 valves separated by a least 1 metre. Each valve must be able to shut off the flow of slurry and be locked when not in use.

The exception to this rule is if your slurry storage tank drains through the pipe into another tank at the same level, or of equal or greater capacity.

Earth-banked slurry stores

An earth-banked store must have impermeable soil to a thickness of at least 1 metre. You may need laboratory analysis and confirmation from a civil engineer to be sure your soil is suitable. Alternatively you can import impermeable soil or use a synthetic liner.

Weeping-wall stores

The base of a weeping-wall store must extend beyond its walls and include perimeter drains to catch escaped slurry and drain into an effluent tank.

Spreading slurry

Your irrigation system must not deposit slurry within 10 metres of inland freshwater or 50 metres of any water supply. You must assess the risk of direct run-off from land you intend to irrigate, and identify unsuitable areas.

Agricultural fuel oil

You must follow these rules if you both:

• build a new agricultural fuel oil store or make substantial changes to an existing one
• store over 1,500 litres of agricultural fuel oil on your farm

Other rules may apply if you store fuel oil:

• for domestic purposes
• for another business you run from your farm
• in a tanker temporarily for transportation on roads or around your farm
• in mobile browsers or drums temporarily stored alongside mobile plant

Where to store fuel oil

You can store fuel oil in one location or spread across your farm. It must be stored in a tank or drum that meets ISO 9000. (Check the manual that came with your tank or drum, or ask the manufacturer.)

No part of your installation can be within 10 metres of inland or coastal waters – including yard drains, dry ditches and land drains.

If tanks are underground, they must also follow the Defra Groundwater Protection Code.

Secondary containment

A tank or drum must be surrounded by a secondary containment structure or ‘bund’.

The bund must:

• have a life-expectancy of at least 20 years with maintenance
• be impermeable to oil and water (walls and base), with no drain-down pipe
• contain every part of the tank, with taps and valves directed down and locked shut when not in use
• contain delivery pipes that are permanently attached to the primary tank, which must be fitted with self-closing taps or valves and locked inside when not in use

If you buy a combined storage tank and bund system you must make sure it will meet the regulations when in use.

Bund capacity

The required capacity of a bund depends on your type of storage.

Type of storage	Minimum capacity of bund
Single tank	110% capacity of the tank
Multiple tanks	110% of the capacity of the largest tank or 25% of the total volume that could be stored in all tanks in the area – whichever is greater
Other storage – eg drum	At least 25% of the total volume that could be stored at any time

If you’re served a notice

The Environment Agency can ‘serve a notice’ to stop you using an unsuitable silage, slurry or agricultural fuel oil store until it’s improved or relocated. They’ll do this if they think there’s a significant risk of pollution – for example if you’ve not allowed enough capacity to store slurry.

You’ll have at least 28 days to carry out the work. You may be allowed more time, for example if you need planning permission or the weather is unsuitable.

How to appeal

If you disagree with the notice, you can appeal. You have 28 days from the day after the notice was served.

Appeal in writing to the Secretary of State.

Send a copy to your Environment Agency office at the address on the notice.

Your letter must explain why you’re appealing. Include:

• a copy of the notice
• any related correspondence
• a plan of your farm, showing the installation and any watercourses or drains

If you’re acting for a farmer on whom the notice was served, you’ll also need a statement from them confirming this.

Decisions on appeals

The notice could be:

• withdrawn or changed
• upheld, with extra time for you to comply
• upheld, with no extra time to comply – the compliance period will then usually end on the day this decision is made

Legislation

These rules are based on the Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations – known as the ‘SSAFO’ regulations – and related legislation.

Further Information

Livestock manure and silage storage infrastructure for agriculture

You must have a licence if you have an existing structure or want to build a new structure on the River Thames that’s:

• in, on or over the river
• cut into the bank
• on a towpath owned by the Environment Agency

Structures are known as ‘accommodations’ and include:

• jetties
• pontoons
• docks
• boathouses
• slipways
• landing stages
• footbridges
• offshore mooring piles and buoys
• rubbing posts
• miscellaneous piles

You must get a licence whether your structure is for private, shared or commercial use.

You’ll only be given permission for public or private amenity work schemes of a non-navigational nature (eg building development) in exceptional circumstances.

Getting a licence

You must apply to the Environment Agency for your licence and pay an annual fee.

Fees are payable from 29 September each year and are charged on a pro-rata basis depending on when you apply. For example, if you apply for your licence on 29 August you’ll just pay the fee for the period between then and 28 September of that year. You’ll then have to pay the next year’s fee in full.

You can’t transfer a licence to someone else. You must get a licence yourself if you buy or move into a property with a structure.

You’ll be sent a licence plate when your licence is granted. You must display this on the structure.

Existing structures without a licence

You must tell the Environment Agency if you already have a structure that hasn’t been licensed before and you want to keep it.

Your structure may be removed and you could be charged for its removal if you don’t get a licence.

Download and fill in the retain accommodation form and send it to the address on the form.

New owners of existing structures

You must tell the Environment Agency if you’re the new owner of an existing structure that needs a licence.

Download and fill in the change of circumstances form and send it to the address on the form.

Building new structures and changing existing structures

To build a new structure or change an existing structure you must do both of the following:

• apply for an environmental permit
• apply for an accommodation licence – download and fill in the application for a new accommodation and send it to the address on the form.

You’ll be sent an information pack telling you what to do next when you apply for consent.

Please be aware you may need planning permission. You should contact your local planning authority to check.

Licensing requirements

To get a licence your structure should only:

• be used for landing and mooring purposes and to give access to the river
• encroach into the river as much as is reasonably necessary for it to fulfil its purpose

The Environment Agency may make an exception about how much your structure can encroach into the river if they decide that it has enough fishery and environmental benefits and that it doesn’t unacceptably impact the normal river flow and the floodplain.

Each application is assessed on an individual basis, with the local environment and individual requirements taken into account.

Your application may be refused, or you may have to make compensatory measures or provide mitigation if the Environment Agency decides that your proposed structure will have a negative impact on the local ecology or flood defences.

You’ll be sent a full list of the requirements with your application pack.

Landing stages

Landing stages should be decked structures that allow the water to pass underneath. They usually shouldn’t be made of concrete or otherwise form a solid construction on the riverbed.

You won’t be given a new licence for an existing solid stage if you’re the new owner.

Private domestic frontages and non-residential leisure plots

Your structure should:

• be free of any garden ornament, furniture, shelter, trellis, fencing, screening or planting in or over any part of the river channel
• be positioned away from neighbouring boundaries to allow any neighbour clear navigable access and clear line of sight from their frontage in either direction
• not obstruct your neighbours’ sight lines by more than 45 degrees from the bankline ahead (except where the bankline is already subdivided into small plots and it’s considered reasonable to permit the whole frontage to be used for a boat)

Working boatyards

If you want to apply for a licence to extend an existing commercial mooring area in or over the main channel of the River Thames, you’ll need to show:

• this will benefit other users of the river, eg provide public landing or mooring rights or environmental enhancements
• it doesn’t negatively affect navigation or normal river and flood flow

Waterside amenities at riverside hotels, bars and restaurants

If you own a riverside hotel, bar or restaurant you can apply for a licence to provide fixed landing stages or pontoons for short-stay temporary mooring. The structure should only encroach into the river as much as is reasonably necessary to fulfil its purpose.

You can ask the Environment Agency for permission to have a seating area on the structure. They will appoint a private consultant to assess the commercial benefit of a seating area and then add this as an additional fee for you to pay. If you’re given permission, you must only place outdoor tables and chairs for customers on areas of spare decking approved by the Environment Agency. Areas that you can use will be shown on the licence plan and on the deck itself. The landing area must not be furnished with tables, chairs or other garden furniture. Associated walkways should be kept clear.

Licence fees: private

You must get a private licence if the structure is for your own private use.

You need to pay an administration fee of £50 to get your licence, plus an annual fee.

Annual licence fees for structures are calculated by the square metre (maximum length of the structure multiplied by its width). This is known as its overall projection into the river.

Type of structure	Environment Agency/Crown river bed rent (2018 to 2019)	Non Environment Agency/Crown river bed rent (2018 to 2019)
Staging, steps, gangway, ladder, catwalk, framework, pontoon, slipway, boathouse, or other licensed enclosure that’s no more than 5 square metres	£96.10	£64.80
– cost of each extra square metre	£19.22	£12.96
Footbridge (each)	£96.10	£64.80
Boom/rubbing pile against bank (single or pair)	£96.10	£64.80
Offshore mooring piles or buoys (single or pair) up to 6 metres apart	£96.10	£64.80
Offshore mooring piles or buoys (single or pair) up to 10 metres apart	£116.83	£78.46
Offshore mooring piles or buoys (single or pair) up to 15 metres apart	£135.69	£91.38
Offshore mooring piles or buoys (single or pair) up to 20 metres apart	£156.13	£103.46
Offshore mooring piles or buoys (single or pair) up to 25 metres apart	£175.62	£116.67
Offshore mooring piles or buoys (single or pair) up to 30 metres apart	£194.60	£129.92

Licence fees: corporate

You must to get a corporate licence if the structure is for anything other than your own private use, for example, you’re a:

• commercial company
• hotel
• school
• yacht club
• youth group
• residents association

You need to pay an annual fee for each structure. There’s also a £50 administration fee to get your licence.

For any structure with a mooring edge, you must pay for both the area of the structure and the total length of mooring edge it has.

Type of structure	Fee (2018 to 2019)
Stage, gangway, catwalk, pontoon, boathouse or other enclosure of river space (plus the fee for any mooring edge)	£9.00 per square metre
– mooring edge of each structure	£8.04 per linear metre
Offshore mooring piles and buoys	£8.04 per linear metre of moorings run accommodated
Rubbing posts or miscellaneous piles	£31.16 each
Slipways and footbridges	£71.92 each

Minimum fee per structure

There’s a minimum fee of £95.90 for each:

• stage, gangway, catwalk, pontoon, boathouse or other enclosure of river space (including the cost of any linear mooring edge)
• offshore mooring pile or buoy

Extra charges and discounts

You’ll be charged an extra:

• 50% if the riverbed is owned by Environment Agency or the Crown Estate at Hampton
• 100% if both the riverbed and the bank is owned by the Environment Agency or the Crown Estate at Hampton

You get a 25% discount if your structure is for education or sport, eg for a school, youth group, or rowing club.

If you own a riverside hotel, bar or restaurant and apply for permission for a public service seating area on a structure, you’ll also have to pay for an assessment of the commercial benefit of having such a seating area. The Environment Agency will use this assessment to determine the additional fee.

Minimum total fee per licence

There’s also a minimum total fee of £153.43 per licence (after taking into account any discounts or extra charges).

Structures used for education or sport (eg by schools, youth groups, or rowing clubs) have a reduced minimum total fee of £95.90.

Guidance and a look-up table of acceptable evidence that packaging or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) exporters can use to prove that overseas sites are operating to broadly equivalent standards to those operating in the UK.