§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which landfill site operators have submitted site conditioning plans; in each case(a) what classification they are seeking for their site, (b) for what capacity and (c) what substances; and which operators have not submitted plans. [73723]
§ Mr. MeacherTo comply with the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002, landfill operators had to submit a conditioning plan to the Environment Agency (EA), for each individual landfill site, by 16 July 2002. 929W As part of that plan, operators have to state which of the three types of landfill they wish the site to be classed as—hazardous; non-hazardous or inert.
The latest information indicates that conditioning plans have been submitted for over 940 landfill sites, with some 228 seeking to operate as hazardous waste landfills. The total number submitted represents approximately 90 per cent. of the plans that were expected by the EA. The Agency are currently checking the plans that have been received and are actively chasing-up the remainder.
Details of conditioning plans have to be placed on the Agency's public registers, however operators can apply for information concerning individual sites to be witheld if it is commercially confidential. Pending resolution of any such claims the information cannot be made public.
Nevertheless by early September the EA expects to be in a position to publish a complete list of landfills for which conditioning plans have been received and will indicate on that list which sites have been classified as landfills for hazardous waste.