HC Deb 31 January 2002 vol 379 cc468-9W
Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to regulate emissions of bioaerosols arising from waste composting schemes. [29613]

Margaret Beckett

Waste composting activities, including the emissions of bioaerosols from waste composting schemes, are regulated by the controls contained in Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. Waste composting activities must be licensed with the Environment Agency or operate under a registered exemption, and must be carried out in a way which does not harm the environment or human health. Under the 1990 Act, the Environment Agency are required to monitor waste sites, and carry out periodic inspections of waste composting schemes.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the role of waste composting schemes in meeting the Government's target for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. [29610]

Margaret Beckett

The Government have set out their policies for meeting their greenhouse gas reduction targets in the UK Climate Change Programme, copies of which are available in House Libraries. Waste disposal—principally landfill—is the second largest source of methane in the UK.

The EU landfill directive requires a progressive reduction in the amount of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill. The Government and the National Assembly have set challenging targets in "Waste Strategy 2000" to recycle or compost at least 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005, rising to 33 per cent. by 2015. These measures—together with energy recovery schemes at landfill sites—are projected to reduce methane emissions from the waste disposal sector to 65 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if proposals for new waste composting schemes will require an environmental impact assessment. [29619]

Margaret Beckett

Waste composting schemes are not referred to specifically in the list of projects subject to environmental impact assessment, as set out in Directive 85/337/EEC as amended, but could be subject to EIA as part of a wider project. The position in relation to the EIA regulations would depend on the circumstances in each case and would be considered by local planning authorities where projects were subject to the planning legislation.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what studies have been undertaken by the Environment Agency into the dispersion and dispersion mechanisms of bioaerosols arising from the composting of waste; and if she will make a statement; [29612]

(2) what assessment she has made of the level of emissions of bioaerosols arising from the composting of waste; [29611]

(3) if she will list her targets for the composting of waste for (a) 2002 and (b) each of the next five years. [29614]

Margaret Beckett

The Government's waste strategy sets national targets to recycle or compost at least 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005, at least 30 per cent. by 2010 and at least 33 per cent. by 2015. Annual composting targets have not been set for 2002 or the following five years, but statutory performance standards for household waste recycling and composting have been set for each local authority under the Best Value process for 2003–04 and 2005–06. The achievement of these will deliver the first of the national targets in 2005.