§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what regulations exist to control disposal of waste from abattoirs(a) in water catchment areas, (b) in areas used for grazing and (c) adjacent to public rights of way; [23214]
13W(2) if the spreading of blood and gut contents on land will be brought within waste management regulations. [23237]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe disposal of substances discarded as waste by abattoirs is controlled under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. These controls also apply to such wastes which are recycled by spreading on land for the benefit of agriculture. The objective of these controls is to ensure that waste is disposed of, or recycled, without endangering human health or harming the environment. The Environment Agency is responsible from 1 April 1996 for the administration and enforcement of the waste management licensing system.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies have been carried out into potential human health risks associated with the distribution of abattoir waste(a) in water catchment areas, (b) in areas used for grazing and (c) adjacent to public rights of way. [23215]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe Department, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the national Rivers Authority, is funding research to provide guidance on the landspreading of industrial wastes, including abattoir waste. A prime objective of the research is to provide technical, scientific and practical guidance on the spreading of industrial wastes on land in a manner that protects human health and the environment as required by article 4 of the waste framework directive 91/156/EEC.
The results of the research will be published by the Environment Agency.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of advice he receives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food relating to the disposal of abattoir waste(a) in water catchment areas, (b) in areas used for grazing and (c) adjacent to public rights of way. [23216]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe code of good agricultural practice for the protection of water, jointly prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Welsh Office Agriculture Department, provides guidance on the application of wastes from animal processing to all types of agricultural land.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring takes places of the effectiveness of the code of good practice for the protection of water following the disposal of abattoir waste in water catchment areas. [23220]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe spreading of waste on land for the benefit of agriculture or ecological improvement is a recovery operation for the purposes of the amended EC framework directive on waste; and is controlled under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. The objective of these controls is to ensure that waste is recovered without endangering human health or harming the environment.
It is an offence under section 33 of the 1990 Act to carry out this operation without a waste management licence or contrary to the conditions of a licence or a licence exemption. The administration and enforcement of 14W the licensing system are the responsibility of waste regulation authorities whose functions are transferred to the Environment Agency with effect from 1 April 1996.
The National Rivers Authority also has statutory duties and powers to protect the aquatic environment from pollution and the authority is required to monitor water quality and investigate pollution incidents. The authority's functions are also transferred to the Environment Agency with effect from 1 April 1996.
Any pollution incidents that result from abattoir waste being spread in contravention of these controls will be taken into account when the "Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water" is reviewed.