§ Lord KENNETasked Her Majesty's Government:
What shore reception facilities are available in United Kingdom ports for chemically contaminated tank washings from chemical tankers, and at which ports.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, DEPARTMENT of the ENVIRONMENT (Lord Bellwin)There are, at present, no statutory requirements for the provision of shore reception facilities for chemically contaminated tank washings from chemical tankers and the Government have no detailed inventory of such facilities. I understand that in practice about 95 per cent. of such tanker washings are put through the ballast treatment plant attached to most oil jetties. The remainder are generally put into private tanks, road tankers or tank barges. In view of the limited quantity of such tank washings which arise from present chemical tanker operations, adequate reception facilities are thought to be commercially available.