§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he intends that the hazardous waste incinerator proposed for Maydown, County Londonderry will he no risk to the community or the environment.
§ Mr. NeedhamI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave on 26 June 1991,Official Report, column 488.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further regulations he intends to introduce with respect to the control of substances hazardous to health in the proposed incinerator at Maydown, County Londonderry.
§ Mr. NeedhamIf the proposed incinerator came into operation, it would become subject to the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 and health and safety regulations made under the order. At present, the Department of Economic Development does not intend to introduce health and safety regulations with specific respect to the proposed facility.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research he has undertaken to determine whether the waste presently earmarked for incineration in the proposed plant at Maydown, Co. Londonderry, could be recycled by the producers of such waste.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe extent to which waste can be minimised and recycled will be central in the consideration by any company of the feasibility of an incinerator. High temperature incineration—without doubt, the most costly solution—will be considered only when it is clearly the only appropriate technology for disposal.
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§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what evaluation of the site of the proposed incinerator at Maydown will be, or has been, undertaken by(a) his Department and (b) other and independent bodies, to determine where in Northern Ireland any emissions would deposit in a wind speed of zero, five, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 mph blowing from the south to north west points of the compass.
§ Mr. NeedhamIf it decides to proceed with this proposal, Du Pont (UK) Ltd. would be obliged to submit a planning application which would be treated as a major application under article 22 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1972. The submission of an environmental statement with this application would be mandatory under the terms of EC directive 337/85 and the Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989. As part of this environmental statement, the company would be required to carry out detailed mathematical modelling of the incinerator's emissions—a wide range of wind speeds would be used —and their impact on all compass points would be assessed. The company's submission would be critically examined by the alkali and radiochemical inspectorate of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. The Department has no information about the evaluation of this site by other and independent bodies.