§ Mr. Temple-MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he has issued concerning the temperature at which combustion of polychlorinated biphenyl should occur in incinerators in order to minimise the emission of dioxins and dibenzofurans. [147512]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Environment Agency has issued a Technical Guidance Note (S2 5.01) for waste incinerators regulated under Part A of the Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991/SI No. 472, and a guidance note to its inspectors on the requirements of the EC Directive on the incineration of hazardous waste. These notes summarise both the statutory requirements of the Directive and the techniques available for incineration. As a minimum, a combustion192W temperature of 850 deg C in the presence of 6 per cent, oxygen for a period of two seconds after the last injection of combustion air is required, unless it can be shown that the Directive emission limit values are complied with and the levels of dioxins and furans emitted are lower or equivalent to those obtained by applying the temperature and residence time requirements laid down in the Directive. However, if the waste stream contains more than 1 per cent, of halogenated organics (which may include polychlorinated biphenyls) a temperature of 1,100 deg C is required in order to minimise emissions of dioxins and dibenzofurans.