Waste Disposal (Hansard, 20 April 1998)

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in which local authorities in the North West Region landraising was assessed to be the best practical environmental option for waste disposal in each of the last three years. [38468]

§ Angela Eagle
No one form of waste treatment can be identified as the best practicable environmental option for all waste streams in any given area. Properly engineered and licensed landraising remains one option. Policy Planning Guidance note No. 10 on waste disposal and management, which will detail the relevant considerations that local authorities must take into account when addressing this issue, is due to be published later this year. Meanwhile, the draft waste local plans of the authorities in the north west region, which are currently under discussion, include their intended use of landfill/landraising.

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which local authorities in the North West have published maps for areas of search for new landfill/landraising sites for non-inert wastes in each of the last three years; and which he expects to publish such plans in 1998–99. [38465]

§ Angela Eagle
Although the Government Office for the North West maintains copies of draft waste local plans, unitary development plans etc. for local authorities in the North West region, it would involve disproportionate expense to collate the information in the form requested. This can be obtained directly from the local authorities concerned.

§ Mr. Sheerman
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what evidence he has evaluated of leakage of toxic materials from waste dumped in porous limestone quarries; [38873]
(2) what investigations his Department has carried out on the effects of waste-tipping in limestone quarries. [38875]

§ Angela Eagle
The disposal of waste in landfills is controlled under the waste management licensing system in force under Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The objective of the licensing system is to ensure that waste is disposed of in a manner which protects the environment and human health. The Environment Agency are responsible for the consideration of applications for licences to dispose of waste in landfills and the supervision of licences which are issued.
417W
My Department published in 1993 the results of research that it commissioned from WRC (formerly the Water Research Centre) on the pollution characteristics of landfills in quarries in magnesian limestone areas. The research report was entitled "Monitoring for leachate migration from landfills in Magnesian Limestone quarries at old Wingate and Joint Stocks, Durham: 1984–1992". I have sent a copy of the report to my hon. Friend and arranged for copies to be deposited in the Library of the House.
In 1995 the Department's evaluation of this and other research was incorporated into the recommendations of Waste Management Paper 26B, "Landfill Design, Construction and Operational Practice". This paper indicates that former quarries may be used for the landfilling of waste provided that the design incorporates adequate arrangements to contain and monitor leakage.