HC Deb 08 December 1989 vol 163 cc423-4W
Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of large facilities which can handle low and intermediate level radioactive wastes for treatment and volume reduction in(a) the European Community, excluding the United Kingdom, and (b) the rest of the world.

Mr. Trippier

The Department does not maintain a comprehensive list of large overseas facilities which can handle low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes for treatment and volume reduction.

Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many large chemical incinerators there are in Britain that can handle special wastes;

(2) if he will give details of the amounts found by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution of polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin in the flue gases from the Rechem international incinerator plant at Ponteg, Pontypool; and what information he has on comparable figures of large chemical incinerators in the mainland of Europe;

(3) if he will provide an estimate of the total amount of special wastes dumped at the Leigh environmental waste disposal site at Walsall;

(4) if he will summarise the results found by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution of tests for polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin in herbage and soil samples around the Rechem incinerator plant at Ponteg, Pontypool;

(5) what amounts of chemical waste were incinerated at the Rechem plant in Pontypool in each year from 1985 to the present time; and what quantities of polychlorinated biphenyls contaminated waste were handled each year;

(6) what estimate he has of the cumulative total amount of polychlorinated biphenyls manufactured over the last 30 years in (a) the Monsanto chemical works in Newport, Gwent, (b) Britain, (c) western Europe and (d) worldwide;

(7) what information he has as to the amount of special waste incinerated on board ships during 1988 (a) in the North sea, and (b) in European waters;

(8) what information he has as to the number of large chemical incinerators which can handle special wastes in (a) the European Community, excluding the United Kingdom, and (b) the rest of the world;

(9) what information he has as to the number of large chemical incinerators for toxic wastes worldwide having (a) a double door with an air-lock, and (b) a single door;

(10) what information he has of alternative methods to incineration now being developed or considered for the destruction of polychlorinated biphenyls;

(11) what is the total amount of special wastes that have been subjected to the Leigh environmental sealofsafe solidification process; and what proportion of this is in a non-solid form;

(12) what quantities of flyash have been imported through Swansea docks for every year from 1979 to the present time; and what are the results of analyses carried out for dioxin in such flyash;

(13) what quantities of special wastes were imported into Britain for incineration for every year from 1979 to the present time;

(14) whether Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will consider the installation of continuous monitoring equipment to measure the amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls dioxin in the flue gas from the Rechem plant in Pontypool.

Mr. Trippier

: I wrote to the hon. Member on 5 December.