Toxic Materials (Hansard, 6 December 1994)

§ Dr. Ms Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what precautions are being taken to protect local populations from possible emissions from sites being used for experimental work on the use of toxic materials as fuels, following the United States Environmental Protection Agency's recent report on the toxicity of very low level dioxins and in particular their effect on foetal development.

§ Mr. Atkins
I announced Government policy on the burning of substitute fuels in kilns on 23 June 1994,Official Report, column 261–2. Strict conditions of compliance with agreed trials schedules, progress reports, control procedures and continuous monitoring have been put in place. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is responsible for protecting the environment under the terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and has been closely supervising these tests.
Results obtained so far indicate no cause for concern. The emissions of dioxins and heavy metals are well within the limits that HMIP will impose on incinerators. Milk monitoring by MAFF for dioxins has indicated no ill effects from the burning of Cemfuel.
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HMIP is keeping a close watch on the emissions from the trials and will shut them down if the environment is being damaged.

§ Dr. Ms Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what EC waste regulation procedures apply to the sites which are currently being used for experimental work on the use of toxic materials as fuels.

§ Mr. Atkins
To the extent that these materials are judged to constitute waste, the relevant requirements of Council directive 75/442/EEC on waste, as amended by 91/156/EEC, will apply. Plants for the production of cement and rotary kiln lime production are categories of process subject to the Council directive 84/360/EEC on the combating of air pollution from industrial plants.

§ Dr. Ms Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sites are currently being used for experimental work on the use of toxic materials including chloro-cresol as fuels; and if he will list existing and proposed sites, their exact locality and the chemicals involved.

§ Mr. Atkins
The only plant undertaking trials with substitute fuel whose specification contains chloro-cresol is Redland Aggregate's plant at Thrislington, West Cornforth, Ferryhill, County Durham.

§ Dr. Ms Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment under what regulations and monitoring procedures the sites currently being used for experimental work on the use of toxic materials as fuels are operating.

§ Mr. Atkins
Environmental protection control in England and Wales is effected by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under the terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Trials of the substitute fuels in kilns are being carried out under this Act.In carrying out the trials the operators must comply with the following monitoring requirements. Before trials commence, satisfactory data on baseline operations must be provided to HMIP. This must include not only emission data but also kiln operating characteristics. Only those substitute fuels that meet a specification agreed in advance with HMIP may be used. All deliveries must meet the specification. Continuous monitors for particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and oxygen, calibrated to HMIP satisfaction must be installed. Manual sampling and analysis of other pollutants such as heavy metals and dioxins must be provided.