The EPA issues immobilisation approvals in accordance with Part 10 of the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014. Immobilisation approvals may either be general or specific immobilisation approvals.
General immobilisation approvals specify:
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The waste to which the approval applies
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For waste that is not naturally immobilised, the treatment required to immobilise the waste
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Any other conditions, such as testing, record keeping and waste tracking, which are required
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How waste subject to the approval may be classified for disposal
An application is not required to dispose of waste under a general immobilisation approval. However, some approvals require a person to advise the EPA if they intend to dispose of waste in accordance with a general immobilisation approval.
The EPA issues general immobilisation approvals by way of a notice published in the NSW Government Gazette. The EPA can also vary or revoke general immobilisation approvals by way of a notice published in the Gazette. A person wanting to classify waste in accordance with a general immobilisation approval should check that the approval is still valid. A list of valid general immobilisation approvals is maintained on the EPA website.
For more information on classifying waste, please refer to the waste classification guidelines.