HC Deb 26 January 1995 vol 253 cc307-8W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the occasions on which Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has informed his Department in each year since 1979 of the discovery of illicitly dumped nuclear materials, giving details of locations, quantities and types of materials involved.

Mr. Atkins

Approximately 900kgs of depleted uranium was discovered at Poplars farm, Chelveston, Northamptonshire in January this year. The inspectorate is carrying out an investigation of the circumstances.

A review of the inspectorate's records, covering the period 1979 to date, reveals no other incidents of illicitly dumped radioactive materials.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what records and maps are kept indicating(a) the radioactive inventory, (b) nature and (c) the exact location of low level radioactive wastes disposed of on authorised landfill sites; and to what extent this information is publicly available.

Mr. Atkins

Records of disposals are maintained by disposers in accordance with the conditions of authorisations granted under the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The quantities consigned for burial at those sites currently receiving such wastes are listed in the answer I gave to the Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms Ruddock) on 25 January,Official Report, column 206.

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is planning to extend the chemical release inventory, which is maintained by the inspectorate and is the subject of published reports, to include details of radioactive disposals.

The exact location of each deposit within a landfill site is not significant in determining the radiological safety of this practice and it is not usual for such records to be kept.

Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the volume of low level radioactive waste disposed at (a) Milton landfill, Cambridge, (b) ICI Ltd., Cowpen Bewley Tip, Cleveland, (c) Vickers waste ponds, Walney island, Cumbria, (d) Rolls-Royce, Hilts quarry, Derbyshire, (e) Magnesium Elektron, Swinton, Manchester, (f) Cilgwyn quarry, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, (g) Braziers landfill, Hertfordshire, (h) SCM Chemicals, site tip, Humberside, (i) Clifton Marsh, Preston, Lancashire, (j) Sefton Meadows tip, Merseyside, (k) Beighton tip Sheffield, South Yorkshire, (l) Beddingham quarry, Sussex, (m) Ryton tip, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, (n) BNFL, Drigg, Cumbria, (o) BNFL Sellafield, Cumbria, and (p) Ulnes Walton in the last 12-month period for which figures are available.

Mr. Atkins

[holding answer 19 January 19951: The volume of low level radioactive waste disposed at the listed sites is as follows:

Site Volume M3 Period1
Milton Landfill 83 1993
Cowpen Bewley 52 1993–94
Vickers less than 1 1994
Hilts Quarry 37 1994
Magnesium Elektron 1,750 1994
Cilgwyn Quarry less than 1 1993
Braziers landfill 15 1993
SCM Chemicals 0 1994
Clifton Marsh 0 1994
Sefton Meadows 0 1994
Beighton Tip 20 1994
Beddingham Quarry 4.5 1993
Ryton Tip 0 1994
BNFL Drigg 23,185 1993
BNFL Sellafield 0 1994
Ulnes Walton 0 1994
1 These are calendar years, other than at Cowpen Bewley where the disposal figures are for the financial year.