HC Deb 19 July 1991 vol 195 cc289-90W
Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements are included in the specification for the waste incinerator proposed for the Maydown, Londonderry site to prevent gases and material being exposed to temperatures between 250 deg C and 400 deg C during combustion.

Mr. Needham

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave on 12 July,Official Report, column 500.

Such details are not yet available and can be provided only if and when Du Pont (UK) Ltd. submits a planning application and accompanying environmental statement for a toxic waste incinerator at its Maydown site.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what specific design requirements apply to the incinerator proposed for the Maydown, Londonderry site to deal with halon and silicon compounds which(a) result from paint manufacture or (b) which may be offered for incineration in the furnace.

Mr. Needham

Specific design details are not yet available, but it may be that the information sought can be provided if and when Du Pont (UK) Ltd. submits a planning application and accompanying environmental statement for a toxic waste incinerator at its Maydown site. The design requirements set by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland will ensure that the wastes to be disposed of at the plant are clearly specified.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy on the selection of methods of disposal of toxic and hazardous waste to be employed at incinerator plants in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Needham

The selection of a waste disposal method is based on the determination of the "best practicable environmental option" for a particular category of waste, a process which is designed to ensure that neither public health nor the protection of the environment are endangered. High temperature incineration is one of the current options for the disposal of toxic and hazardous waste and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Foyle (Mr. Hume) of 27 February,Official Report, column 511, how much of the special wastes are toxic wastes which require incineration to render them harmless; at what temperatures they are incinerated; and how much are wastes arising from the production of synthetic fibres.

Mr. Needham

The amount of toxic wastes requiring incineration included in the figure of 8,000 tonnes which I specified in my answer to the hon. Member for Foyle (Mr. Hume) can be identified only at disproportionate cost. However, an independent consultant's report issued in 1990 estimates that 60 per cent. of special waste arisings are landfilled directly, with the remainder being dealt with by chemical treatment, incineration or reclamation.

The temperatures at which such wastes are incinerated vary from 900 to 1200 deg. C., depending on the time period involved and combustion conditions within the incinerator.

Statistics for the amount of special wastes arising from the production of synthetic fibres can also be identified only at disproportionate cost, but the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has authorised the movement of 1,000 tonnes of lycra polymer waste to Finland for high-temperature incineration during the 12-month period commencing October 1990.