On February 1, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources issued a license for hazardous waste management to Hado-Technology and on February 2 to UKREKOPROM.
These companies became the first in Ukraine to carry out hazardous waste operations after the market collapsed on January 9, the Ministry of Environment reports.
Hado-Technology received a license to handle grease and oils, and Ukrekoprom received a license to manage hazardous waste such as:
- packaging containing residues or contaminated with dangerous substances;
- explosive components;
- chemical substances consisting of or containing dangerous substances;
- sludges and filter cakes containing hazardous substances;
- eluates and sludges from membrane or ion exchange systems containing hazardous substances;
- solid waste from gas processing (purification);
- aqueous washing liquids containing dangerous substances;
- degreasing waste containing hazardous substances;
- caustic alkalis;
- spent liquids used as catalysts;
- nickel-cadmium batteries;
- separately collected electrolytes from batteries and accumulators;
- electrical and electronic equipment containing dangerous components;
- small glass and glass powder waste containing heavy metals;
- asbestos processing waste, etc.
Law No. 2320-IX "On Waste Management" provided for obtaining new licenses for hazardous waste management within six months from the date of entry into force (July 9, 2023), i.e. until January 9, 2024. However, the Cabinet of Ministers violated the requirements of this law and adopted a resolution on licensing conditions almost 5 months later (December 5).
Thus, companies had only about 1 month to pass the pre-licensing inspection and obtain new permits. However, such terms were unrealistic for 367 operating enterprises. In addition, it violated the requirements of the law, because the term for obtaining new licenses should be at least 2 months.
The eco-community declared that the collapse of the hazardous waste market threatens the epidemiological situation, increase in the number of unauthorized landfills of hazardous waste, market monopolization, development of corruption, etc. However, representatives of the Ministry of Environment reported that they plan to solve this critical situation only thanks to increased work on pre-licensing inspection and issuing of licenses.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, in December the Association of Environmental Professionals (PAEW) called on the authorities to avoid a collapse in the hazardous waste market due to the impossibility of issuing licenses.
