§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the release of allergenic material caused by the movement of grain within the dock system at Seaforth. [86833]
§ Mr. MealeIt is presumed that the question relates to the release of allergenic material to air. The Environment Agency is responsible for assessing releases to air from processes requiring authorisation under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Agency confirms that at the present time there are no processes dealing with grain within the Seaforth dock area that are authorised under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Releases to the air from these processes would therefore fall within the remit of Sefton Borough Council Environmental Health Department and/or the Port Authority. The Agency is not involved in this process.