§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is their policy that there should be a small number of large capacity incinerators instead of a large number of small capacity incinerators for the disposal of domestic and farm animal carcasses; and, if so, what arrangements they propose to be made for the storage prior to collection, collection and transportation of carcasses and other animal waste products from farms, hunt kennels and veterinary surgeries with particular regard to the prevention of environmental pollution and disease contamination. [HL2438]
§ Lord WhittyIt is not our policy that there should be a small number of large capacity animal carcass incinerators instead of a large number of small-scale animal carcass incinerators.
Our policy on waste is set out in the draft waste strategy, A Way With Waste. This emphasises the priority the Government places on tough environmental standards for all types of incineration. It also makes clear that wastes should be disposed of as close to the point of production as possible, consistent with the need for effective environmental controls.
We now expect the proposal to be adopted as a directive in the autumn, subject to the progress of the final stage of negotiation. The deadline for transposition into UK law will be two years after 148WA adoption. The proposal is therefore likely to apply to new plant from autumn 2002. Existing plant will not, however, have to comply until five years after adoption—ie autumn 2005.
We are looking at implementation options which will minimise the burden on small scale animal carcass incinerators and pet crematoria while ensuring that there are appropriate environmental safeguards.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have evidence that all small capacity incinerators exceed the emission levels laid down in the draft Incineration of Waste Directive and, if only some makes of incinerator are unsatisfactory, whether those incinerators could not be replaced by machines that comply with the emission requirements. [HL2440]
§ Lord WhittyIt is the Environment Agency's advice that it is likely that no animal carcass incinerators under 50kg/hr capacity would be fitted with the necessary emissions abatement equipment to meet the standards for dioxins and other pollutants in the proposed waste incineration directive. The cost-benefit analyses prepared for the Department by Entec UK Ltd (copies of which are in the House Library) in Appendix 1 pp. 58-59 noted a lack of emissions data for such plant, but assumed that equipment to abate nitrogen oxides, hydrogen chloride and heavy metals would be needed, plus a secondary combustion chamber to permit sufficient residence time to achieve the dioxins limit.