§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that decommissioning of the inground liquefied natural gas storage at Canvey can now be undertaken without risk to the resident population living close by; whether the operation has been discussed in detail with Castle Point District Council, the Anglian Water Authority and the Port of London Authority; and if he will indicate when the work will begin and when it will be concluded.
§ Mr. Waddington[pursuant to his reply, 13 February 1981, c. 447]: The procedures which have been proposed for the decommissioning of the inground liquefied natural gas storage tanks at Canvey Island are currently being studied by the Health and Safety Executive. British Gas has been asked to furnish additional technical and scientific information so that the operation can be fully assessed.
The Health and Safety Executive will not permit the actual decommissioning of the tanks until all the outstanding issues have been resolved to its satisfaction. Subject to the Health and Safety Executive being satisfied on this, the actual timing of the operation, including the decommissioning date, is a matter for British Gas. It is understood, however, that some preparatory work may commence shortly and this will probably take 12-18 months to complete. It is anticipated that the subsequent, decommissioning operation will take about three months to carry out.
The decommissioning operation has not yet been discussed in detail with the various authorities. When the Health and Safety Executive is satisfied with the proposals, the operation will be discussed with Castle Point district council, the Anglian Water Authority and the Port of London Authority.