§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has of polychlorinated biphenyls being processed by waste treatment plants not licensed to treat them.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 19 July 1988]: The licensing and subsequent enforcement, of waste disposal facilities is a waste disposal authority function. The Department does not keep central records on this topic, 815W but I am aware of one successful prosecution, in 1981, for the illegal deposit of polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated oils at a treatment plant.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has of the use of polychlorinated biphenyls in landfilling operations.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 19 July 1988]: Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) will be found, at very low concentrations, in ordinary domestic refuse due to the presence of the occasional capacitor from old domestic appliances. Consequently, any landfill accepting domestic refuse will contain traces of PCBs—estimated at less than seven parts per million (ppm).
In 1985, the former hazardous waste inspectorate issued guidance, recommending that landfill disposal should be prohibited for large quantities of waste significantly contaminated with PCBs, apart from exceptional and occasional circumstances.