§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for curbing greenhouse gas emissions from landfill sites. [17512]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe waste strategy for England and Wales includes targets both for the reduction of waste going to landfill and measures to increase the proportion of organic (degradable) content in municipal solid waste (MSW) which is diverted from landfill to other forms of treatment.
Additionally guidance to regulators drafting and enforcing waste management licences for landfill sites—set out in waste management paper 4—advises that the most satisfactory control option is the installation of whole-site landfill gas collection at new sites receiving biodegradable wastes and also for existing sites if the site has significant remaining capacity and if significant gas production is likely.
As a result of these measures it is anticipated that landfill gas emissions will fall from the 1990 estimate of 1.89 mte to 1.54 mte in 2000.