Legislation

-ORDER no. 344/708/2004 for the approval of the Technical Norms regarding environmental protection and especially of soils, when TECHNICAL NORMS are used from August 16, 2004 regarding environmental protection and in particular of soils, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture
-Directive 86/278/EEC regarding environmental protection and, in particular, soil protection, when sludge from treatment plants is used in agriculture.

Obligations of producers and respectively of users of sewage sludge

The sludge producer has the following obligations:

1. to notify the territorial environmental authority and the sludge users about any pollutants present in the sludge;

2. to identify the sludge user and the agricultural areas (including sensitive ones) that meet the necessary conditions for sludge use, based on soil studies prepared, at the producer's request, by the territorial offices of pedological and agrochemical studies;

3. to contact the sludge user and evaluate the possibilities of using the sludge.

To obtain the application permit based on the operation authorization of the treatment plant, the sludge producer must send the competent territorial authority, at least one month before the spreading period, data regarding:

a) quantities of sludge generated and quantities of sludge provided for use in agriculture;

b) composition and characteristics of the sludge, according to the indicators for sludge characterization in the present order;

c) the type of treatment performed on the sludge;

d) identification data of the sludge users;

e) data about the location of the agricultural area where the sludge is to be applied;

f) the probable spreading period;

g) type of crop;