§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by volume, and rivers affected, the annual discharges from abandoned mines and tips in the Yorkshire National Rivers Authority area. [24909]
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 22 May 1995]: The information requested, so far as it is available, has been provided by the National Rivers Authority and is as follows:
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Discharges from abandoned mines and tips in the southern Yorkshire NRA area Location Type Receiving river Volume of Minewater (M3/day) Clayton West AM Dearne Tributary 1,360 Silkstone AM Banks Bottom Dyke not known Flockton AM Flockton Beck Tributary not known Flockton TL Flockton Beck Tributary not known Dodworth TL Silkstone Beck Tributary not known Wath on Dearne CL Groundwater not known Killamarsh TL Park Brook not known Upstream of Silkstone Sewage Treatment Works AM Silkstone Beck not known Wooley PM Dearne 17,000 Sheffield CL Rother not known Chesterfield CL Rother not known North Doncaster TL Swan Sike Drain not known A1 North of Doncaster TL Groundwater not known Castleford CL Carr Beck not known Thornton AM Pitty Beck not known Todmorden AM Mitgelde Brook/Calder 1,000 Todmorden AM Beater Clough/Calder 500 Holmfirth AM Calder 1,000 Chesterfield AM Hipper 60 Dronfield AM Barlow Brook 1,100 Dronfield AM Drone 1,100 Dronfield AM Drone 45 Dronfield AM Drone 1,100 Dronfield AM Drone 25 Chesterfield AM Whitting 110 Chesterfield AM County Dike 45 Chesterfield AM Drone Tributary 50 Chesterfield AM Rother 100 Chesterfield AM Hipper 50 Chesterfield AM Rother 40 Chesterfield AM Redlead Mill Brook 50 Chesterfield AM Whitting 50 Penistone AM Don 2,900 Stocksbridge AM Little Don 1,000 524W
HMIP prosecutions 1992–1993 (1 April-31 March) Division Name Act Offence Date of hearing Verdict Fine Cost West Bloxham Laboratories HSW 1974 Failure to comply with conditions of registration to ensure supervision of the competent use of radioactive material. 28 April 1992 G £750 £500 East Harrow Health Authority HSW 1974 Failure to use the best practicable means in operating incineration plant. 5 May 1992 G £1,000 £3,468.75 East Esselte Letraset RSA 1960 Failure to comply with condition of registration to prevent unauthorised access to a radioactive source. 29 June 1992 G £100 £1,000 East Foster Yeoman 1906 alkali Operating without a certificate of registration. 2 July 1992 G £3,000 £2,000 East White Mountain Roadstone HSW 1974 Failure to use the best practicable means in operating roadstone coating plant. 9 July 1992 G £500 £1,000
Discharges from abandoned mines and tips in the southern Yorkshire NRA area Location Type Receiving river Volume of Minewater (M3/day) Sheffield AM Don 500 Stocksbridge AM Don 200 Sheffield AM Don 200 Sheffield AM Loxley 100 Notes:
Type of discharge.
AM Abandoned Minewater.
TL Tip Leachate.
CL Contaminated Land.
PM Pumped Minewater.
§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many court actions were taken in each of the last three years by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; what were the gross and net legal costs of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the past three years; how many of the court actions taken by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the last three years resulted in prosecution and fines; and what were the total fines imposed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in respect of pollution incidents in each of the past three years. [25778]
§ Mr. AtkinsThe tables give details of the court actions taken by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the financial years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95. Fines imposed by the courts and details of costs are also included. All this information is available in HMIP's annual reports, the latest one of which, for the year 1994–95, is due for publication on 21 July. When considering what level of enforcement action to take, HMIP considers not only the environmental consequences and operator culpability, but whether it will be sufficient to ensure that remedial action to prevent a recurrence is carried out. Prosecution is not the only solution in every case, as HMIP endeavours to make the level of enforcement action proportionate to the offence. Enforcement may take the form of a letter of admonishment, an enforcement notice, a prohibition notice, prosecution or even revocation of the authorisation.
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HMIP prosecutions 1992–1993 (1 April-31 March) Division Name Act Offence Date of hearing Verdict Fine Cost North Gath Drums (Shipley) Ltd. HSW 1974 Failure to comply with two improvement notices. 26 August 1992 G Conditional discharge £3,905 West Xidex (UK) Ltd. RSA 1960 Breach of conditions relating to storage of radioactive material. 7 September 1992 G £6,000 £5,000 West British Coal RSA 1960 Breach of conditions relating to storage of radioactive material. 12 October 1992 G £20,000 £6,410 North Pozzolanic Lytag Ltd. HSW 1974 Failure to use best practicable means to prevent emissions of noxious or offensive substances into the atmosphere. 21 October 1992 G £3,500 £3,500 West British Steel HSW 1974 Failure to use best practicable means to prevent emission of noxious or offensive substances. 26 October 1992 G £2,000 £19,000 West Rhone-Poulenc HSW 1974 Failure to use the best practicable means to prevent emission of sulphur dioxide from their sulphuric acid plant. 16 November 1992 G £10,000 £4,048 West West Midlands Regional Health Authority RSA 1960 Breaching 17 offences under Section 13(1)(c)of the RSA. 18 December 1992 G £51,000 £8,000 East Knauf UK HSW 1974 Failure to use BPM to prevent unfiltered processed gypsum from escaping into the atmosphere. 26 January 1993 G £1,500 £3,270 West Brookridge Timber Ltd EPA 1990 First HMIP prosecution under EPA 1990. Breach of Section 6(1) and section 23(1)—using a toxic substance without authorisation. 16 March 1993 G £1,650 £3,000 Summary detail:
Total prosecutions: 14.
Total fines: £101,000.
Total costs: £64,101.75.
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HMIP Prosecutions 1993–1994 (1 April–31 March) Region Name Act Offence Date of hearing Verdict Fine Cost Anglian Nichols Institute Diagnostics RSA 1960 Breach of conditions relating to accumulation of radioactive waste without authorisation. 6 April 1993 G £10,000 £2,726 Southern and HMNII UK Atomic Energy Authority RSA 1960 Failure to use BPM to limit the activity of radioactive waste released and to make a record of the means employed. 16 April 1993 G £5,000 N/A Wales Evans Group Ltd. Alkali Act 1906 and HSW 74 Failure to apply for registration for crushing equipment operated on site and failure to apply BPM to prevent emissions into the atmosphere. 17 May 1993 G £6,000 £5,000 Anglian Plessey GEC Semiconductors Ltd. RSA 1960 Holding a radioactive source without a certificate of registration. 17 May 1993 G £1,000 £2,261 Anglian Essex University RSA 1960 Exceeding their authorised limit for the incineration of radioactive waste. 21 May 1993 G £800 £2,651 North West North West Aggregates Ltd. HSW 1974 Failure to use BPM to prevent the release of offensive and noxious fumes. 7 January 1994 G £8,000 £11,000 Wales Glan Clwyd District Hospital NHS Trust RSA 1960 Unauthorised disposal of radioactive waste. 9 February 1994 G £5,500 £1,775
HMIP Prosecutions 1993–1994 (1 April–31 March) Region Name Act Offence Date of hearing Verdict Fine Cost Southern National Power Littlebrook "D" Power Station EPA 1990 Two offences involving discharges of oil to the River Thames. 16 February 1994 G £7,500 £13,248 South West ICI Nitram Plant, Severnside, Bristol HSW 1974 Failure to use BPM to prevent discharge of ammonia to atmosphere. 18 February 1994 G £2,000 £9,195.18 Summary Detail:
Total prosecutions: 9
Total fines: £45,800
Total costs: £47,856
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HMIP prosecutions 1994–95 (1 April—year to date) Region Name Act Offence Date of hearing Verdict Fine Costs Midlands AGA Gas Ltd., Bardon Filling Plant, Leics EPA 1990 Operation of an unauthorised acetylene plant. 10 May 1994 G £10,000 £5,135 Midlands Wednesbury Tubes Ltd., Bilston, W Midlands HSW 1974 Failure to use BPM to prevent the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substances. 11 May 1994 G £4,000 £1,540 Southern Acal Auriema, Slough RSA 1960 /IRR 1985 /HSW 1974 Two charges—failure to hold an authorisation certificate to collect waste radioactive sources for disposal/damage of a waste source. 20 May 1994 G £14,000 £2,842.61 Southern Drum Laundry Services Ltd., Aldershot EPA 1990 Failure to prevent a release to controlled waters. 20 June 1994 G £5,000 £5,000 North East Safety-Kleen UK Ltd., Rotherham EPA 1990 Failure to prevent a release to controlled waters. 5 September 1994 G £7,500 £6,040 Southern Enichem Elastomers Ltd., Hythe, Hampshire EPA 1990 Failure to use BATNEEC to prevent an unauthorised release of styrene. 9 November 1994 G £5,000 £12,062 North East British Coal, Wearmouth RSA 1993 Breach of RSA93 over the loss of a radioactive source. 14 November 1994 G £5,000 £7,561 Wales Coalite Products Ltd., Beddau EPA 1990 Exceedance of ammonia release limits for discharges to controlled waters. 21 November 1994 G £22,500 £10,000 South West Rhone-Poulenc Chemicals Ltd. HSW 1974 Failure to use BPM to prevent an unauthorised release of ammonia. 28 November 1994 G £12,000 £5,400 South CET Flexitec Ltd. RSA 1993 Failure to comply with registration condition relating to storage of radioactive source. 30 November 1994 G £7,000 £2,500 South Southern Refining Services Ltd. EPA 1990 Failure to comply with conditions of authorisation. 5 December 1994 G £12,000 £6,571.85 North West Vinamul Ltd. EPA 1990 Unauthorised escape of substances and failure to ensure control during production. 31 January 1995 G £19,000 £13,716 North East ICI Wilton EPA 1990 Failure to prevent an unauthorised release of degraded organic peroxide. 2 February 1995 G £10,000 £10,250
HMIP Prosecutions 1994–95 (1 April-year to date) Region Name Act Offence Date of hearing Verdict Fine Costs North East Hickson Fine Chemicals EPA 1990 Failure to prevent a release to controlled waters. 13 February 1995 G £5,000 £10,694.50 Anglian IGE Medical Systems RSA 1993 Loss of radioactive source. 24 February 1995 G £5,000 £5,754.75 Summary detail:
Total prosections: 15.
Total fines to date: £143,000.
Total costs: £105,066.71.
§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many court actions were taken in each of the last three years in total and in each authority area by the waste regulation authorities; what was the gross and net costs to each waste regulation authority and in total of legal action taken in each of the past three years; what were the total fines imposed by each waste regulation authority and in total in respect of pollution incidents in each of the past three years; and how many of the court actions taken by waste regulation authorities in each of the past three years resulted in a prosecution and fine. [25779]
§ Mr. AtkinsThe information requested is not held centrally. Information on the number and description of prosecutions brought by waste regulation authorities under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 must be included in the annual reports authorities are required to publish under section 67 of the Act. Authorities are required to publish their reports within six months of the end of each financial year and the first such reports will be those for the financial year 1994–95.