The government has taken an initiative to bring amendments to the Shooting Ranges and the Environmental Protection Act with the view to simplify the environmental permit processes and legislation concerning shooting ranges.
The Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday sent out the draft proposal for comments and the deadline for submitting comments is December 23, said the Ministry in a press release.
The government aims to safeguard the activities of Finland’s existing shooting ranges and promote the establishment of new shooting ranges.
The proposal included amendments to both the Act on Shooting Ranges and the Environmental Protection Act. In addition to provisions ensuring user safety at shooting ranges, the Act on Shooting Ranges would include environmental protection provisions on soil and groundwater protection and noise abatement.
The permit process would become more streamlined. Since the shooting range permit and notification would cover both safety and environmental matters, only one application or notification would be required.
A single authority, the National Police Board, would handle all permit and notification matters related to shooting ranges.
Responsibility for processing and controlling the environmental permits and the notifications for shooting ranges, currently handled mainly by municipalities, would be transferred to the police.
The Act on Shooting Ranges would include similar prohibitions on soil and groundwater pollution as the Environmental Protection Act.
Noise levels would need to stay below the statutory guideline values. Shooting ranges would still be subject to the general principles and prohibitions of the Environmental Protection Act, even though the Act would only apply to them in part.
The amended legislation would define more clearly the requirements for limiting emissions.
A permit could be granted or a notification approved if the operator uses the best available techniques and the modelled noise levels remain below the threshold values.
Under the proposed transitional provision, the existing environmental permits and the decisions based on notifications would remain valid with their current conditions.
If a shooting range does not currently have an environmental permit or operate under a notification in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act, the operator would need to apply for a permit or submit a notification within three years of the Act’s entry into force.
- Govt
- Ease
- Shooting ranges
- permit
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
