§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many methane explosions have taken place in the past 10 years arising from the operation of landfill sites. [129975]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Environment Agency has no records of any explosions attributable to landfill gas occurring in England and Wales since 1 April 1996. Records for the period prior to this are not held centrally.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment procedures are in place to monitor the spread of toxic leachate from landfill sites; and what remedial measures exist to combat public health threats from such leachate. [129964]
§ Mr. MeacherRecommended procedures and protocols for monitoring ground and surface waters for evidence of contamination by leachate are set out in the Government's statutory guidance to the Environmet Agency—Waste Management Papers 4 and 26. Operators of landfills must undertake such monitoring and report the results to the Agency on a regular basis. The Agency also undertakes its own monitoring as a check on operator performance. Extensive research has been conducted on landfill leachate and, although potentially polluting, it is not normally classed as toxic.