Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of air pollution control residues were captured at municipal energy from waste incineration facilities in 2015; and what estimate she has made of the total tonnes of air pollution control residues that will be generated by municipal energy from waste incineration facilities in 2016.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria was originally granted because there was a lack of alternative treatment capacity at the time to either treat certain wastes to levels meeting normal waste acceptance limits, to treat the wastes via alternative treatment technologies or to recycle or recover the residues. The availability of sufficient alternative treatment capacity and the costs of that treatment are therefore the two central criteria that the government will use to decide whether or not to remove the derogation.
The Government is making an assessment of the quantity of air pollution control residues produced at energy from waste facilities to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.
The Government is making an assessment of the costs of the different forms of treatment for air pollution control residues, including their mixing into concrete blocks and their disposal to hazardous waste landfill, to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to improve protection for ancient woodland in (a) England and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by George Eustice
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires that planning permission should be refused for any proposed development resulting in the loss or deterioration of ancient woodland unless the need for and benefits of the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss.
The Government is considering the recent recommendations of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee on the NPPF, including those on revising the wording relating to ancient woodlands and the potential for designating more ancient woodlands as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). We will respond in due course. However, Natural England is working on identifying further ancient woodland suitable for designation as SSSI.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department is giving to Natural England for its work to update the Ancient Woodland Inventory in (a) England and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government provides funding and other support to Natural England to enable it to pursue its statutory functions and other responsibilities. This includes the work that it is currently undertaking with partners to update and improve the Ancient Woodland Inventory. The Inventory currently identifies all ancient woodlands in England larger than two hectares, and the majority of those in the south east that are less than two hectares as well. It is hoped that in time the Inventory will cover ancient woodlands of less than two hectares across the rest of the country, including Staffordshire.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the projected total cost to local authorities in England and Wales of disposing municipal waste at energy from waste incineration facilities in 2015-16; and what estimate she has made of that cost if the derogation in the Waste Framework Directive allowing air pollution control residues to be disposed to hazardous landfill is removed.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
No estimates have been made of either the projected total cost to local authorities in England and Wales of disposing municipal waste at energy from waste incineration facilities in 2015-16, or the cost if the derogation in the Waste Framework Directive allowing air pollution control residues to be disposed to hazardous landfill is removed.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of municipal waste in England and Wales that will be disposed at energy from waste facilities in 2014-15.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The latest statistical data published by Defra this November, which can be found at the link below, shows that local authority managed waste going for incineration with energy recovery was 6.2 million tonnes in 2013/14 in England. This could increase to around 7.6 million tonnes in 2014/15 based on capacity that is operational or in construction. Defra does not hold the equivalent data for Wales.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the capacity of the waste recovery industry to recover end-of-life products from air pollution control residues in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Environment Agency has not carried out an assessment of the capacity of the waste recovery industry to recover products that may contain air pollution control residues.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of air pollution control residues that will be captured in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16 by energy from waste facilities.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Defra has made no estimate of the amount of air pollution control residues that will be captured in 2014-15 and 2015-16 by energy from waste facilities.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of air pollution control residues that will be disposed of by an alternative route in 2015-16 in the event that the Government proceeds with the removal of the derogation in the Waste Framework Directive that allows air pollution control residues to be disposed to hazardous landfill.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
No information has been collected to inform an estimate of waste producers’ plans for managing their air pollution control residues (APCr) in future.
The Environment Agency consulted on proposals to remove derogations from landfill site permits that allow disposal of APCr which do not meet waste acceptance criteria at landfill sites for hazardous waste. This consultation also sought information on available and planned recovery and disposal capacity.
Current capacity for treating/disposing of APCr is estimated at around 400,000 tonnes. Of this capacity, 47% was for disposal in landfill for hazardous waste.
Based upon the consultation responses, capacity for treating/disposing of APCr is estimated to rise to more than 700,000 tonnes by the end of 2016, 38% of which would be for disposal in landfills for hazardous waste.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the amount of dioxin and furan that would be dispersed into the domestic built environment from recovered air pollution control residues as a consequence of the Environment Agency accepting End of Waste status for use in breeze blocks if the derogation in the waste framework directive allowing air pollution control residues to be disposed to hazardous landfill is removed.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Environment Agency considers that some concrete block products from a particular process containing air pollution controls residues (APCr) are no longer waste. The environmental risk assessment for this was for a bound use of the APCr in blocks, rather than unbound. Research supporting the case showed that, bound within the block, measurable levels were not released. Where blocks were drilled, the exposure level of dioxins into the air was below World Health Organisation exposure limits.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost to the waste recovery industry of building capacity to recover end-of-life products from air pollution control residues in 2015-16 if the derogation in the Waste Framework Directive allowing air pollution control residues to be disposed to hazardous landfill is removed.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Defra has not made any estimate regarding the cost to the waste recovery industry of the withdrawal of this derogation. Should there be any proposal to remove the derogation, this would be subject to an impact assessment.