§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what scientific evidence his Department has on the percentage content of heavy metals in orimulsion; and what assessment he has made of the implications for the ecosystem of burning this fuel at power stations in the United Kingdom;
(2) what scientific evidence his Department has requested from other countries in which orimulsion is burnt; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanThe environmental effects of burning orimulsion at power stations are being considered by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in respect of applications made to it under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In considering these applications, I understand HMIP has requested and received information both from the United Kingdom and from abroad, including information about the heavy metal content of orimulsion.
This includes an independent analysis of orimulsion carried out for my Department which showed the following percentage of heavy metals: vanadium 0.035 per cent. and nickel 0.007 per cent. chromium, manganese, copper, arsenic, cadmium and lead are all less than one 10,000th part of 1 per cent.