§ Mr. HeppellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many landfill sites, which are under consideration for authorisation to dispose of low-level radioactive waste, do not have authorisation at present;
(2) if he will list the landfill sites that are under consideration for the disposal of intermediate and high-level radioactive waste.
§ Mr. AtkinsI refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr Betts) on Wednesday 7 December,Official Report, columns 215–16.
§ Mr. HeppellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) local authority and (b) privately operated landfill sites have authorisation to dispose of low-level radioactive waste in (i) England and Wales, (ii) the east midlands and (iii) Nottinghamshire.
§ Mr. AtkinsA number of landfill sites in England and Wales currently receive low-level radioactive waste for disposal by controlled burial. These sites are not292W themselves authorised, but are specified in authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 to receive the waste. The sites, divided into those operated by local authority and privately operated, are as listed:
Sites Operators England and Wales (excluding East Midlands and Nottinghamshire) Cowpen Bewley Tip, Cleveland Privately Operated Waste Ponds, Walney Island, Cumbria Privately Operated Magnesium Elektron site, Greater Manchester Privately Operated Braziers Landfill, Hertfordshire Privately Operated SCM Chemicals site, Humberside Privately Operated Clifton Marsh, Lancashire Privately Operated Beddingham Quarry, Sussex Privately Operated Walton Arpley, Cheshire Local Authority Operated Beighton Tip, South Yorkshire Local Authority Operated Milton Landfill, Cambridge Local Authority Waste Disposal Co. Cilgwyn Quarry, Gwynedd Local Authority Waste Disposal Co. (ii) East Midlands Hilts Quarry, Derbyshire Privately Operated (iii) Nottinghamshire Nil Four of these 12 sites receive low-level radioactive waste from premises licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, and which are local to the site of burial. The remaining sites receive waste generated by activities which are not a part of the nuclear industry, most commonly hospitals and universities.