Businesses and local authorities with waste wood arisings are expected to take a cautious view of a recent Regulatory Position Statement issued by the Environment Agency.

The statement will be in place for 12 months to November 2018 and allows the movement to continue of waste wood without the need to classify the wood as hazardous. This does not apply to telegraph poles, railway sleepers or creosoted wood.

Behind the decision to issue an RPS, is discussions by the Agency which could lead to much tighter controls over the handling of waste wood, such as arises at civic amenity sites.

This is because more wood is going to use for biomass burning and while larger plants are subject to tight emissions controls, some smaller boilers are not. Consequently there is concern that harmful emissions may occur from wood which may have been treated with some form of chemicals.

Now, discussions are to continue with the Wood Recyclers Association over a solution to the issue because of concerns that it would be impractical test or sort all wood arising at business or local authority premises to see if it should be classified as hazardous or non-hazardous.