§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what regulations govern the recovery of oil from oiled cuttings arising from offshore rig and platform activities by vacuum distillation. [14871]
§ Mr. Gummer[holding answer 10 February 1997]: Vacuum distillation is one option for recovering oil from oiled cuttings. I understand that no such oil recovery occurs offshore, largely due to the size of the necessary recovery equipment. Where oiled cuttings are brought onshore for recovery distillation, such distillation is a process prescribed for control under the integrated pollution control regime established by part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.