§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what agreements have been reached in respect of the importation of toxic waste from South Africa for disposal by Rechem in South Wales; what quantities are involved; and if he will make a statement. [41196]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 8 May 1998]No agreements have been reached in respect of the import of toxic waste from South Africa. In March 1998, the Environment Agency received a request from the Government of the Republic of South Africa to export 5,550 tonnes of wastes into the United Kingdom over a three year period. The wastes in question were a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides and hexachlorobenzene, destined for disposal by high16W temperature incineration. This request was technically deficient and contained unacceptable caveats. It was therefore refused.
On 24 April 1998, a revised request was received from the Republic of South Africa for an increased total of 5,850 tonnes of wastes. The Agency is currently considering this request.
The Agency is obliged to consider each such "duly motivated request" on its own merits, within the terms of the policies set out in the United Kingdom Management Plan for Exports and Imports of Waste. It is Agency policy to determine a completed request within two months of receipt.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement in respect of the importation of toxic waste for incineration. [41195]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 8 May 1998]The importation of waste into the UK is governed by Council Regulation EEC 259/93 on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community (the Waste Shipment Regulation). The UK's policy is set out in the United Kingdom Management Plan for Exports and Imports of Waste, which came into effect on 1 June 1996. The Plan
generally prohibits imports of waste from EC Member States for high temperature incineration in the UK after 1 June 1999. At present, imports are permitted on a reducing basis, to assist other Member States, pending completion of their own high temperature incineration facilities;excepts Ireland and Portugal from this ban, as the Government accept that neither country produces sufficient hazardous wastes per year to make the provision of their own high temperature incinerators economically viable;generally prohibits imports for high temperature incineration from OECD countries outside the EC, except in cases of emergency;allows imports from developing (non-OECD) countries, where the UK Government or its Environment Agency are satisfied that the exporting country does not have and cannot reasonably acquire the technical capacity and necessary facilities to deal with the waste in an environmentally sound manner.