§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many waste disposal sites there are in the United Kingdom; and how many were the cause of methane gas explosions during the last 12 months.
§ Mr. MoynihanThere are approximately 5,110 waste disposal facilities in the United Kingdom, of which some 4,156 are landfill sites. Of these, some 2,100 are capable of generating methane. Information on incidents associated with methane gas from landfill sites is not collected centrally. However, the Department is aware of three explosions in the last 12 months associated with this phenomenon.