Hazardous waste management to be licensed in Armenia 

ArmInfo. The Ministry of Environment has initiated a process of making legislative amendments in order to solve existing problems in the waste management sector, improve the waste management system, and ensure the continuous  progress of legislative reforms.

The RA Deputy Minister of Environment Ara Mkrtchyan said this during the regular sitting of the RA NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local  Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment Protection on September  24.

The package of draft laws on Making Amendments and Addenda to the law  on Wastes and on Making Addendum to the RA Code on Administrative  Offenses was debated.

A number of amendments have been initiated by the keynote rapporteur,  which will make the waste management system more flexible and  efficient. In particular, the law will be supplemented with the  concepts of 'landfill,' 'waste owner,' and 'waste accumulation' for  hazardous waste, and the principles of effective waste management  will be enshrined.

The legislative initiative will enshrine the requirements for the use  and licensing of hazardous waste activities and the main regulations  of the process, clarify the powers of the Government and the  authorized body. The proposed amendments will enshrine the legal  basis for the adoption of normative legal acts regulating the sector,  define the procedure for accounting for waste and the rules and  requirements for its use, and clarify the processes of passporting,  accounting, and submission of statistical reports for hazardous  waste.

It was noted that by adopting the drafts it is expected that the  exploitation of illegal landfills will be prevented, and landfill  managers will be more consistent in the proper operation of  landfills.

Ara Mkrtchyan answered the deputies' questions, giving clarifications  on proposing regulations and restrictions.

The draft law was endorsed.