§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the criteria for deciding whether BSE-infected and suspected BSE-infected bovine offal is(a) disposed of in landfill sites and (b) incinerated; [20219]
(2) if BSE-infected or suspected BSE-infected bovine offal has been dumped in landfill sites in Warrington; [20220]
(3) if it is Government policy to continue to dump BSE-infected offal in landfill sites. [20221]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 17 March 1997]: The Animal By-Products Order 1992, which implements EC animal waste directive 90/667 in Great Britain, requires animal waste to be rendered, incinerated or buried.
There is no legal requirement for the carcases of cattle slaughtered as affected with, or suspected of being infected with, BSE to be destroyed specifically by incineration. However, it has been the Ministry's practice to use incineration whenever feasible. No BSE suspects have been disposed of other than by incineration since 1995.
951WIn the case of specified bovine material removed on a precautionary basis from non-BSE suspects, the SBM order of 1996, as amended, requires that it be processed in dedicated rendering lines or incinerated. Where the SBM is rendered, the order provides for the resultant meat and bone meal to be incinerated, disposed of at a landfill site for which there exists a current waste management licence granted under section 35 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, or disposal as specified by the Minister in the plant's approval. At present, however, SBM removed from cattle aged under 30 months and sheep and goats is rendered with over-30-months scheme material and is, therefore, all destined for destruction.
The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, which advises Ministers on BSE, has considered the current and proposed methods of dealing with waste material from the slaughter of cattle and concluded that these are safe. A press release reporting its conclusions was issued by MAFF on 7 June 1996 and a copy is available in the Library of the House.
The Department's records indicate that BSE suspect cattle were disposed of by landfill in Warrington during 1990 and 1991. The sites were licensed under part I of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.
The Department's records also indicate that approximately 15 tonnes of unrendered SBM were consigned, contrary to SBM rules, to a landfill site in Warrington just prior to Christmas 1995. The matter was drawn to the attention of Tameside metropolitan borough council, as the appropriate local authority with enforcement responsibility under the order. Whilst the incident is regrettable, investigation revealed that the site is a "total containment site" and of the highest standard. In the unlikely event that the SBM contained any infectivity, it is thought that the resultant risk should be very small.
§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) for what reasons the Rowley landfill site was selected for the burial of BSE-infected cows; [20419]
(2) how many BSE-infected cows are buried at the Rowley landfill site near Burnley. [20420]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 17 March 1997]: In the early years of the BSE epidemic, incineration capacity was insufficient to deal with all the cattle involved. Therefore, in July 1988 this Department approached Lancashire county council seeking licensed landfill facilities for disposal of BSE suspect cattle. At that time, the county council was responsible as a waste disposal authority for the granting and supervision of licences under part I of the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Following an assessment by the authority of the landfill sites then in its ownership, Rowley was identified by the authority as suitable for the disposal of waste of this kind.
The Ministry's records, cross checked with those available to the Environment Agency, indicate that the carcases of just over 30 cattle affected, or suspected of being affected with, BSE—their heads having been removed for incineration—were disposed of at the Rowley landfill site.
952W
§ Mr. PrenticeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he intends to remove the remains of the cattle buried at Rowley for disposal by incineration; [20417]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure the BSE-infected cows buried at Rowley do not contaminate the water supply. [20418]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 17 March 1997]: In May last year a sub-group of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, which advises Ministers on BSE, considered the issue of BSE and the environment, including the question of disposal to landfill sites. It considered that, although the spongiform encephalopathy agent was not yet fully characterised, there was good evidence to believe that individual molecules were not infectious and that infectivity was associated with macro molecular agglomerations, indeed possibly with tissue fragments, albeit small ones. On this basis, it concluded
it was unlikely that leachate from landfill sites would present a significant risk and there was certainly no justification for taking heroic measures to excavate sites, even those which had previously been used for material such as BSE-confirmed cattle".The Environment Agency as the regulatory body responsible for supervising the operation of landfill sites, is in possession of SEAC's advice. The agency monitors groundwater quality in the vicinity of licensed landfill sites as a check for any leachate contamination.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which landfill sites in the United Kingdom were used for the disposal of cattle reported as having BSE. [18134]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 10 March 1997]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations his Department has received from the Environment Agency in respect of the disposal of BSE-infected carcases to landfill sites; and if he will make a statement; [20471]
(2) if he will instigate an inquiry into the safety of all sites where BSE-infected carcases have been disposed of during the past eight years; and if he will make a statement. [20472]
§ Mrs. BrowningPrior to the formation of the Environment Agency in April 1996, regulatory responsibility for the operation of landfill sites rested with waste regulation authorities. The Environment Agency inherited the responsibility for the safe regulation of landfill sites in England and Wales under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and for this purpose monitors ground water quality in the vicinity of licensed landfill sites as a check for any leachate contamination.
This Department is in regular contact with the Environment Agency in view of its responsibility for supervising the waste management licensing system in respect of landfill sites.