§ Mr. LoydenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new initiatives he has taken to reduce the effects of toxic emissions and pollution by petrochemical industries on Merseyside.
§ Mr. MacleanUnder part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, prescribed processes require authorisation by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution,270W and chemical plants fall into this category. In granting authorisation, the enforcing authority must seek to ensure that the best available techniques not entailing excessive cost, are employed to prevent or minimise the release of any substance prescribed for any medium.
HMIP has prepared guidance, in the form of process guidance notes for inspectors, on the standards to be applied to the processes it controls. The first nine notes in the chemicals sector which cover organic chemical processes were published on 27 January in preparation for the processes coming under integrated pollution control from 1 May 1993. These notes are publicly available for the benefit of operators and other interested parties. Further guidance notes for the chemicals sector will be published during 1993.
Copies of the guidance notes have been placed in the Library.