Waste Management Supervision
The environmental authority supervises compliance with waste management regulations and provisions. In practice, the supervision covers property waste management, littering in areas, and the condition of collection points.
The legal responsibilities for waste management are divided into supervision, organization, and service provision. The environmental authority acts as the supervisory authority for waste management, while the Rauma Region Waste Management Agency is responsible for waste management services.
Littering
According to the waste law there is a ban on littering. You may not leave waste in the environment, abandon a machine, device, vehicle, platform or other object, or release a substance in such a way that it may cause untidiness, ugliness of the landscape, reduction of comfort, risk of injury to a person or animal, or other comparable danger or harm. The litterer is obliged to clean up the area he litters.
Obligation to Remove Decommissioned Underground Oil Tank
According to section 21 of the Rauma City Environmental Protection Regulations (May 1, 2022), a decommissioned underground oil tank must be removed from the soil along with all its structures. The environmental authority may grant an exception to the removal of the underground oil tank upon application if the tank’s removal is economically unreasonable or if it poses a risk to, for example, the structural integrity of a residential building, provided that the tank has been emptied and cleaned. The exception must not cause environmental pollution or endanger the environment. A processing fee, as specified in the Rauma City Environmental Protection fee schedule, will be charged for handling the exception application. The exception application must include at least a map or site plan indicating the location of the oil tank on the property, as well as an inspection report of the oil tank prepared by an authorized inspector. The report should confirm that the tank has been emptied, cleaned, and whether the tank is intact.
You can complete and submit the application form for an exemption from the obligation to remove an oil tank according to the environmental protection regulations using this link: Application for Exemption from the Obligation to Remove an Oil Tank (In Finnish). Remember to attach the required documents to the application.