Hazardous waste disposed at dump sites without payments as the keepers use up inaccuracies of the law

Press Release – July 1, 2013


The Supreme Audit Office (SAO) audited funds and penalties collected for hazardous waste disposals within period 2007-2011. Among the audited bodies were the Ministry of Environment as the main guarantor for the waste management area, the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, which supervises over the legal compliance of waste management regulations, and the State Environmental Fund, which receives the payments for hazardous waste disposed at dump sites. Auditors also scrutinized 14 individual keepers of dump sites.

The hazardous waste disposal fee consists of two parts: The primary part of the fee is transferred to the municipality where the dump site is located and the "risk" part of the sum is the income of the State Environmental Fund. In 2009, the rate with the "risk" part increased from CZK 3 300 to CZK 4 500 per one tonne but in the period 2007-2011, the annual collection of the hazardous waste disposal fee was reduced by some half, i. e. it dropped from CZK 107.8 million to CZK 59.2 million a year.

The reason of the collection decrease is the law, which makes it possible to avoid the fee when disposing waste that is designated as so called "technological material", which is used for terrain adjustments. This material is free of charge. In 2011, about 98.5 % of disposed hazardous waste was free of charge. The "risk" part of the sum collected for hazardous waste disposal should have been used by the State Environmental Fund for environmental protection projects.

There are problems with the fee´s collection and supervising of the payments as well. In spite the State Environmental Fund receives the "risk" part of the sum it is not allowed to control the collection. On the other hand, municipalities that receive the primary part of the fees are allowed to do so. Violations of regulations are fined by the Czech Environmental Inspectorate. The unpaid fees are demanded from defaulters by the customs office. The exacted payments are transferred to the State Environmental Fund and the respective municipalities.

The SAO recommends some amendments to Act on Hazardous Waste Management as well as changes to the competences of respective authorities. Auditors also recommend setting volume limits for hazardous waste disposals, which are free of charge.

Communication Department
Supreme Audit Office

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