§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether Her Majesty's Industrial Pollution Inspectorate, in reporting that combusion at Re-Chem, Roughmute, took place at sufficiently high temperatures to destroy practically all the organic residues in the flue gases, also took account that inorganic materials might be released in the emission from the stack.
§ Mr. McElhoneYes. As a result special equipment was installed through which the flue gases pass to reduce, as far as possible, the quantities of inorganic materials emitted.
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§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what facilities Re-Chem International has at Roughmute for liquid scintillation counting for radioactivity and for neutron activation analysis to measure levels of antimony, arsenic, bromine, chlorine, cobalt, iron, manganese, mercury and sodium.
§ Mr. McElhoneDisposals of radioactive substances are made to Re-Chem International in accordance with authorisations made by the Secretary of State for Scotland under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. The conditions of these authorisations specify the maximum levels of activity which can be sent. As the total quantities authorised are very small there is no need for the firm to have equipment for liquid scintillator counting. Facilities for neutron activation analysis are not available at the works as this method of analysis is a highly specialised technique not suitable for routine analytical control.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will order an inquiry into the operations of Re-Chem International at Roughmute.
§ Mr. McElhoneAt this time, the Secretary of State sees no need for an inquiry. The causes of the complaints which were raised in 1975 and early 1976 have been largely rectified.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether Re-Chem International processes arsenicals, mixed contaminated solvents, cyanides and bags containing mercury-contaminated wastes at Roughmute; and whether all such substances are thoroughly analysed before being processed.
§ Mr. McElhoneThe firm has a satisfactory system for destruction of cyanides and for disposal by burning of mixed solvents contaminated by organic materials. Dressed grain containing traces of mercury has been incinerated but arsenicals and materials with a substantial inorganic content are not incinerated. Since the sender of materials for disposal must indicate the contents of each despatch under the Deposit of Poisonous Waste Act 1972, only limited analysis is needed.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether wind tunnel tests to 559W study smoke dispersion from Re-Chem International at Roughmute were made before the company started operating; and, if not, how long after opening such tests were initiated.
§ Mr. McElhoneWind tunnel tests were not made before the company opened. After the commissioning of the plant in early 1975 it became clear that there were difficulties in dispersion and wind tunnel tests were carried out later in that year.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what facilities exist at Re-Chem International, Roughmute, to monitor radioactivity.
§ Mr. McElhoneMaximum levels of activity in material sent to the firm for disposal are limited by the authorisations issued by the Secretary of State for Scotland under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. Check measurements are made periodically by Her Majesty's Industrial Pollution Inspectorate.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether Re-Chem International emits only steam and carbon dioxide; and whether he accepts that the safety of the plant is guaranteed by exhaustive laboratory testing and process performance monitoring.
§ Mr. McElhoneMeasurements made by Her Majesty's Industrial Pollution Inspectorate have shown that salt has been omitted along with traces of other particulates and organic substances. There is no evidence that emissions from the plant are injurious to public health.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent the recommendations of the Fifth Report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, that decisions on emission which directly affect the daily lives of many people should not be taken by a small specialist body consulting only with industry and that greater anticipation was needed so that the assumptions and problems on which the decisions depended were more widely understood, were taken into account in the decisions on the siting and operations of Re-Chem International at Roughmute, Stirlingshire; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. McElhoneDecisions on the siting and operations of the plants taken in 1974, some 18 months before publication of the Royal Commission Report in January 1976.