§ Charlotte AtkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what guidelines and regulations are in place to regulate the disposal of sewage sludge; [102571]
(2) what advice he has given to water companies on the disposal of sewage sludge since the banning of such waste disposal at sea. [102572]
§ Mr. MullinGovernment guidance in "Raising the Quality", which was published in September 1998 as part of the Periodic Review of water industry price limits in England and Wales between 2000–05, stated that recovering value from sewage sludge through spreading on agricultural land is the best practicable environmental option for sludge in most circumstances.
It is for individual water companies to decide their strategy for sewage sludge recycling, recovery and disposal, taking account of the costs and environmental requirements and benefits, in discussion with the Department, the Environment Agency and the Director General of Water Services. The Director General's final determinations of water company prices for the period 2000–05, issued on 25 November 1999, take account of the environmental requirements agreed with the Government. The final determinations expect improvements in the disposal of sewage sludge, including the disposal of additional sludge due to the ban on disposal at sea in December 1998. This will cost a total of £800 million between 2000–105.
The following regulations and guidelines are in place in England and Wales to regulate the disposal of sewage sludge:
- (i) the spreading of sewage sludge on agricultural land is regulated by the Environment Agency under the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989, which are complemented by the "Code of Practice for Agricultural Use of Sewage Sludge 1996." The Government support "The Safe Sludge Matrix" agreed in December 1998 by the water industry and major food
97W retailers which introduces a range of precautionary changes in the requirements for the use of sewage sludge on agricultural land. Subject to consultation and Parliamentary approval, the Government intend to revise the Regulations and the associated Code of Practice during 2000 to place the provisions of the "Safe Sludge Matrix" on a statutory footing. - (ii) the disposal of sewage sludge to landfill and the recovery of sewage sludge for the ecological improvement of non-agricultural land is controlled under Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994.
- (iii) the disposal of sewage sludge by incineration is regulated by the Environment Agency through the Integrated Pollution Control system under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Further guidance is contained in the "Chief Inspector's Integrated Pollution Control Guidance Notes 1996." The proposed EC Waste Incineration Directive, currently under negotiation, will apply to sewage sludge incinerators and is likely to be implemented through powers under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999, which will shortly supersede Part I of the 1990 Act.