HC Deb 05 June 1990 vol 173 cc478-9W
Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how producers of significant quantities of special waste will be covered by an authorisation through integrated pollution control; how he intends to define the circumstances when producers of significant amounts of special waste will be encompassed by integrated pollution control; what sectors of industry will be so covered; and how many firms will be involved;

(2) how many of each type of plant will be covered by integrated pollution control; and how often he envisages Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution staff will be inspecting such plants.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

Regulations made under clause 2 of the Environmental Protection Bill will prescribe processes for integrated pollution control (IPC). Processes prescribed for control will generally be those which are the most potentially polluting and will therefore include those releasing significant quantities of special waste. Such processes will need a prior authorisation from HMIP which will set out specific conditions relating to the operation of the process. The use of the best available techniques not entailing excessive cost will be required to prevent or minimise the release of prescribed substances and render all releases harmless.

IPC processes may release prescribed substances to more than one environmental medium. It is not possible to provide a separate figure for the number of processes prescribed on the grounds of their special waste releases. A list of processes which it is proposed to prescribe for IPC was placed in the Library of the House on 27 April, in response to a question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter), at column 343. Some 5,000 installations in England and Wales are estimated to fall within the proposed categories.

The frequency of inspection will be judged individually for each installation according to its nature, potential for release and other factors.