HC Deb 09 November 1998 vol 319 cc6-7W
Mr. Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish a breakdown of the content of unauthorised emissions from United Kingdom incinerators since January 1996. [56746]

Mr. Meale

The table sets out the content of unauthorised releases into the environment since 1 January 1996 from the incinerators in England and Wales regulated by the Environment Agency under the Integrated Pollution Control regime.

Parameter Number of unauthorised releases
Hydrogen Chloride 370
Particulate Matter 47
Oxides of Nitrogen 33
Carbon Monoxide 27
Sulphur Dioxide 9
Metals 7
Hydrogen Fluoride 4
Iodine 2

Estimates of the mass release, causes and likely environmental impact of each unauthorised release have been reported to the Environment Agency under the terms of the operator's authorisations. Copies of the notifications will have been placed on the relevant Agency and local authority public registers, unless they are subject to commercial confidentiality arrangements provided for by the legislation.

No central record is kept of unauthorised releases from the smaller incinerators regulated by local authorities in England and Wales under the Local Air Pollution Control regime. However, details of any such releases will have been entered on the relevant local authority public register.

For details of unauthorised releases from incinerators in Scotland and Northern Ireland, I refer the hon. Gentlemen to my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.

Edmonton Incinerator
Substance Actual Emissions 1996 (Kgs) Actual Emissions 1997 (Kgs)
Atrazine 0.0559 0.0700
Cadmium 3.8000 6.0100
Carbon Monoxide 276000.0000 330000.0000
Dichlorvos 0.0311 0.0300
Dieldrin 0.0138 0.0100
Fenitrothion 0.0332 0.0300
Hexachlorobenzene 0.0081 0.0100
Hexachlorobutadiene 0.0081 0.0081
Hexachlorocyclohexane 0.0088 0.0100
Hydrogen Chloride 2070000.0000 24800.0000
Hydrogen Fluoride 1487.0000 1800.0000
Mercury (to water) 0.1850 0.1200
Mercury (to air) 60.3000 139.0000
Metals—Group 3 (AS+CR+CU+MN+NI+PB+2N) 57.2000 1100.0000
Nitrogen Oxides (as NO2) 478000.0000 588000.0000
Organic Tin Compounds 0.0340 0.0300
Particulates 263000.0000 21900.0000
Pentachlorophenol Compounds 0.1080 0.0400
Polychlorinated Biphenyls 0.0300 0.0400
Simazine 0.0538 0.0700
Sulphur Dioxide 250000.0000 30700.0000
TEQ (Toxic Equivalent of PCDD + PCDF) 0.0055 0.0003
Trichlorobenzene—all isomers 0.0308 0.0400
Triflualin 0.0081 0.0100
Volatile Organic Compounds 1570.0000 11900.0000

Lewisham Incinerator
Substance Actual Emissions 1996 (Kgs) Actual Emissions 1997 (Kgs)
Cadmium 3.0000 12.1000
Carbon Monoxide 26500.0000 23400.0000
Hydrogen Chloride 15140.0000 27360.0000
Hydrogen Fluoride 80.0000 112.70000
Mercury 60.0000 40.3000
Metals—Group 3 (AS+CR+CU+MN+NI+PB+SN) 340.0000 57.7000
Nitrogen Oxides (as NO2) 986000.0000 914400.0000
Particulates 14610.0000 14000.0000
Polychlorinated Dibenzo-P-Dioxin—All congeners 0.00014 0.00003
Sulphur Dioxide 13440.0000 10640.0000
Volatile Organic Compounds 6150.0000 6342.0000