§ Mr. RuffleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the disposal of toxic waste from the Greenwich peninsula. [42022]
§ Angela EagleThe statutory remediation of the Greenwich Peninsula has been undertaken by British Gas as the original polluter. Following the completion of the statutory work English Partnerships, which acquired the site in February 1997, has undertaken the development remediation to restore the site to a condition fit for its intended end use.
31WThe remediation includes the removal or treatment on-site of contaminated soils, to depths of up to 14m in selected areas. Contaminated soil which cannot be reused on site is disposed of at licensed landfill sites. The contractors employed by English Partnerships are responsible for selecting the location of the landfill sites and a number of different sites have been used. All the sites used have been licensed by the relevant authority and are suitable for the material being disposed there.
The procedure for the disposal of soils which cannot be used on-site is part of the overall remediation strategy discussed and approved by both the Environment Agency and the London Borough of Greenwich and is consistent with Government policy.