§ 143. Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) by what date he intends to phase out the dumping of industrial wastes into the North sea; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he intends to allow the practice of dumping liquid industrial waste at sea after 31 December; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe United Kingdom is fully meeting international agreements reached unanimously by the North sea countries.
Indeed the United Kingdom is amongst the European leaders in demanding higher standards for the North sea. We are very conscious of the need to prevent pollution of our offshore waters. Eighty per cent. of riverborne pollution entering the North sea comes from rivers of Germany, Holland and Belgium.
Ministers at the second North sea conference agreed that disposal at sea of industrial wastes should not be prohibited if there were no practical alternative means of disposal on land and if it could be shown to the Oslo Commission that the materials caused no harm in the marine environment. The Oslo Commission in 1989 agreed the procedure by which a country would show that a waste met these criteria. The Government have initiated this procedure in respect of three wastes which have been licensed for sea disposal for some years.
The nature of these wastes and the problems faced in identifying environmentally acceptable alternative disposal options have been discussed at length in the Oslo Commission. At no stage has evidence been produced that any of these wastes cause harm in the marine environment. Detailed scientific work in the United Kingdom has shown that no harm is caused by sea disposal. Indeed, the presence of the wastes in the sea cannot be detected by the most sensitive means of analysis a few minutes after disposal.
105WNo deadline has been set internationally for termination of sea disposal. However, the Government are seeking to end sea disposal of these wastes at the earliest possible time. Of the 20 licences issued in 1987 for disposal of liquid industrial waste at sea, more than half will not be renewed next year. The remainder will be terminated as soon as alternative means of disposal have been identified and implemented. The companies concerned are urgently working to develop land-based methods. The Oslo Commission agreed earlier this year that even when an alternative disposal option is identified a transitional period will be needed before sea disposal can end, to give time for introduction of the alternative arrangements. At this stage the final termination date for liquid industrial waste licences cannot be precisely identified, though it is expected that most will be terminated within about two years.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when he received an application to dump 3,000 tonnes of a curing agent in epoxy powder in the North sea; and if he will make a statement;
(2) when he received an application from Sterling Organics to dump 42,000 tonnes of paracetamol waste in the North sea; and if he will make a statement;
(3) when he received an application from Fisons Ltd. to dump in the North sea 4,000 tonnes of waste from the making of asthma medicines; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerAll three companies have for some years had sea disposal licences for these wastes which arise from production of medicines—which help asthma sufferers and relieve pain—and soap. These have been subject to annual renewal. Pending the completion of development and implementation of alternative means of disposal the companies have sought continued licensing as some of their products provide relief—sometimes life-saving relief
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Material Tonnage January to June Fisons PLC Wash waters from the synthesis of Intal, a treatment for asthma and allergies 6,000 Imperial Chemicals Industries PLC Waste from pharmaceutical manufacture 6,090 Tate & Lyle Filtration sludge from sugar refining 33,000 Sterling Organics Ltd. Aqueous residues from preparation of paracetamol 42,000 Orsynetics Ltd. Salt solution from the manufacture of O-tolyl biguanide, exported for use in paint and soap manufacture 3,000 Fisons PLC1 Distillation waste from pharmaceutical manufacture 1,000 Formica Ltd. Phenol washings from laminate manufacture 800 Fine Organics Ltd. Effluent from pharmaceutical production 8,000 A. H. Marks Ltd.1 Neutralised acetone/water mixture from formulation of organic chemicals 999 BP Petroleum Development1 Used saline drilling mud 1,000 British Coal MineStOne 150,000 British Coal Minestone 150,000 CEGB Pulverised fuel ash 36,000 (part year) CEGB, Pulverised fuel ash 290,000 (part year) 2— Solid waste from boric acid production 200,000 —to asthma sufferers and pain relief to others. The procedures agreed for such cases by the Oslo Commission were therefore initiated for the Sterling Organics and Fisons wastes on 19 September and for the third waste on 5 October.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications he has made to the Oslo Commission for licences to dump industrial waste in the North sea in 1990; if he will list in each case the substances, quantities and companies involved; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe Oslo Commission procedure, which is required in advance of the issue of national licences under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1935, has been initiated for three wastes, as follows:
Material Tonnage Fisons Wash waters from synthesis of Intal—a treatment for asthma and allergies 6,000 Sterling Organics Aqueous residues from preparation of paracetamol 42,000 Orsynetics Salt solution from manufacture of O-tolyl-biguanide, exported for use in paint and soap manufacture 3,000
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the licence applications he has received for dumping industrial waste in the North sea in 1989(a) from January to June and (b) from June onwards; if he will list the substances, quantities and companies involved; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe information is as follows:
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Material Tonnage July to November Chorley Bleaching Co. Ltd.1 Waste from bleaching cotton 100 ICI Chemicals & Polymers Ltd. Acid ammonium sulphate effluent from acrylics production 165,000 AUied Colloids Ltd. Acid ammonium sulphate effluent from acrylics production. 15,000 Woolcombers Ltd. Waste from washing wool 999 Chlor Chem Ltd. Acidic effluent from production of water treatment chemicals 1,000 Robinson Bros1 Caustic liquor from manufacture of pharmaceutical intermediates 70 British Coal Minestone 1,250,000 British Coal Minestone 525,000 British Coal Minestone 525,000 CEGB Pulverised fuel ash 50,000 CEGB Pulverised fuel ash 500,000 Jackson's Fuel Co. Ltd. Washed sand 7,500 1 Licences to expire by end of 1989. 2 Application not approved. Information on the applicant was received in confidence.