Environmental protection licences are issued to enterprises that utilise natural resources or whose actions pollute the environment. These licences set out requirements for the sustainable use of the resources. Compliance with the requirements set out by the licences can help keep pollution within its normal range,” explained Rein Kalle, lead of the Environmental Board’s circular economy department.
There are three types of environmental protection licences: complex licences, environmental licences and registrations. Environmental registrations are given to companies that have a small impact on the environment, companies with these registrations must not pay state fees or pollution fees. Small boiler houses and petrol stations require registrations, but they are also needed for activities such as installing heating systems into the ground or water or transporting waste. Further information about activities requiring environmental registrations can be found on the home page of the Environmental Board (waste managing registration, air registration, water registration).
It is important for the applicants that their licences are processed quickly, says Rein Kalle, lead of the Environmental Board’s circular economy department. “Hence why we have decided to develop our information system to a level where the simpler registrations are checked by a computer, rather than a specialist. For example, we give around 600 registrations in the waste handling department and from now on, about a third of these registrations will be automatically handled by the computer,” said Rein Kalle. Entrepreneurs can submit digital applications through the information system KOTKAS at any time and place. Simple applications will receive a positive answer immediately.
Entrepreneurs have expressed that they would like to see the application and reporting processes consolidated under one information system. People also wish to receive information on which companies are applying for the licences near their homes and how they perform the environmental requirements set out for them. The environmental decision information system KOTKAS has been created to simplify the process of applying for environmental permits, the processing of said permits and for the publication of environmental data.