HC Deb 23 November 1994 vol 250 cc149-50W
Mrs. Helen Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to alter the regulations regarding the licensing of landfill sites registered for the disposal of toxic or nuclear waste.

Mr. Atkins

The Government have no plans to deregulate the disposal of toxic or radioactive waste at landfill sites. One of the proposals in the consultation document, "Review of Radioactive Waste Management Policy: Preliminary Conclusions". published in August, was that waste producers should be encouraged to make more use of the controlled burial of radioactive waste in landfill sites. However, this would remain subject to the same strict regulatory control as at present. The proposals in the document are being considered in the light of the responses received. The disposal of controlled wastes, including special wastes, is subject to the enhanced waste management licensing arrangements introduced under the Environmental Protection Act in May this year.

Mrs. Helen Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the landfill sites in the country at present registered for nuclear waste disposal and those where applications are under consideration.

Mr. Atkins

A small number if users of radioactive material are currently authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 to dispose of low level radioactive waste by controlled burial at specified sites. The sites where such burial is specified in the relevant user's authorisations and which may receive waste are:

  • Milton Landfill, Cambridge
  • ICI Limited, Cowpen Bewley Tip, Cleveland
  • Vickers Waste Ponds, Walney Island, Cumbria
  • Rolls-Royce, Hilts Quarry, Derbyshire
  • Magnesium Elektron, Swinton, Greater Manchester
  • Cilgwyn Quarry, Caernarfon, Gwynedd
  • Braziers Landfill, Hertfordshire
  • SCM Chemicals, Site tip, Humberside
  • Clifton Marsh, Preston, Lancashire
  • Sefton Meadows Tip, Merseyside
  • Beighton Tip, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
  • Beddingham Quarry, Sussex
  • Ryton Tip, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
  • BNFL, Drigg, Cumbria
  • BNFL, Sellafield, Cumbria

Some of the users of radioactive material are licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. The sites where waste arising from such users can be buried are: Cowpen Bewley, Vickers, Hilts Quarry, Ulnes Walton, Clifton Marsh, Drigg and Sellafield. With the exception of Drigg, the wastes arise locally to the burial site.

There are no outstanding applications for authorisation under RSA 1993 which involve burial of low, medium or high level radioactive waste.

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