§ Ms AthertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to ensure that water purity is maintained in Carrick Roads, Falmouth following South West Water's proposals for a sewage outfall there; [5482]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely impact on the Truro oyster fishery of South West Water's plans to site a sewage outfall in Carrick Roads, Falmouth; [5477]
(3) how many representations he has received regarding South West Water's plans for a sewage outfall in Carrick Roads, Falmouth. [5483]
§ Angela EagleIt is for the Environment Agency, in the first instance, to protect controlled waters from pollution through the operation of the discharge consents system set out in the Water Resources Act 1991 and other water pollution legislation. In relation to the proposed sewage outfall at Carrick Roads, Falmouth, the Agency has negotiated the scheme with South West Water as an interim measure to secure water quality improvements to meet the requirements of the Bathing Water Directive, pending completion of the full scheme planned for compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive at the end of the year 2000. The Agency will have had in mind the need to ensure that the discharge meets the water quality requirements of all relevant legislation. This includes the need to meet the requirements of the Shellfish Waters Directive for those designated waters in the Fal estuary at Turnaware Bar and the Percuil River. In addition, the Agency operates a policy whereby, in relation to discharges where the commercial use of an area for harvesting shellfish has been established, no deterioration in water quality should186W normally be allowed which would he expected to cause a deterioration in the classification of waters at the time of consent determination.
The Agency is minded to allow a discharge consent on certain conditions and subject to post-scheme monitoring of the discharge to demonstrate that its objectives have been met and to request adjustments to optimise the discharge regime in the light of operational experience. However, my Department has received 32 representations regarding South West Water's plans and is currently considering whether the Deputy Prime Minister should call-in for his own determination the associated application for discharge consent.