S.L. 549.50 Art. 22Application and permit. S.L. 549.63 S.L. 549.39

(1) No excavation void, whether created through surface or underground extraction, shall be allowed to be backfilled without a permit granted by the competent authority.

(2) The permit shall contain the elements specified in sub-regulation (3):

Provided that, subject to compliance with all requirements under this regulation, any permit produced pursuant to other Community or Maltese legislation may be combined to form a single permit, where such a format obviates the unnecessary duplication of information and the repetition of work by the operator or competent authority: Provided further that, the details specified in sub-regulation

(3) can be covered by one single permit or several permits, provided that all requirements under this regulation are complied with.

(3) The application for a permit shall contain at least the following details:

(a) the identity of the operator;

(b) the location of the excavation void, whether created through surface or underground extraction;

(c) the backfilling plan pursuant to regulation 23; and

(d) any other relevant information requested by the competent authority.

(4) The competent authority may specify the format in which such information is to be made available.

(5) The competent authority shall only grant a permit if it is satisfied that:

(a) the operator complies with the relevant requirements under these regulations;

(b) the backfilling into the excavation void, whether created through surface or underground extraction, does not conflict directly or otherwise interfere with the implementation of the relevant waste management plan or plans referred to in the Waste Regulations.

(6) The competent authority shall reconsider and, where necessary, update permit conditions periodically:

(a) where there are substantial changes in the backfilling into the excavation void, whether created through surface or underground extraction, or the backfill;

(b) on the basis of inspections carried out pursuant to regulation 29;

(c) in the light of information exchange on substantial changes in best available techniques.

(7) The competent authority shall make this information available in accordance with the Freedom of Access to Information on the Environment Regulations: Provided that the information contained in a permit granted under these regulations shall be made available to the competent national and Community statistical authorities when requested for statistical purposes:

Provided further that sensitive information of a purely commercial nature, such as information concerning business relations and cost components and the volume of economic mineral reserves, shall not be made public.