§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria apply to his consideration of applications for toxic waste plants.
§ Mr. BaldryToxic waste plants require approval by local planning authorities in the light of criteria contained in development plans, waste disposal plans, and statutorily required environmental impact assessments. Waste treatment plants also need disposal licences from local waste disposal authorities and these licences are required to be determined in relation to risks of water pollution and danger to public health.
Those plants involving incineration are also prescribed processes under part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This requires local authorisations regarding standards of emissions to air in relation to facilities with a capacity of less than 1 tonne per hour and for facilities of greater capacity a full authorisation by HMIP (thereby dispensing with the need for a disposal licence) covering emissions to all media. Guidance on the best available techniques not entailing excessive costs (BATNEEC) for the different types of plant is provided for HMIP and local authority inspectors.
All such decisions are subject to appeal to the Secretary of State and he also has a right to call in planning applications, but he will generally do so only if planning issues of more than local importance are involved. His criteria for deciding such cases must depend upon the specific issues brought before him by the parties involved.