”The government has failed to publish precise treatment standards for hazardous waste.“
Early Day Motion
The politicians have signed an Early Day Motion sponsored by Guildford MP Sue Doughty which says the government “has failed to publish precise treatment standards for hazardous waste required from July which the industry needs”. This is despite the government knowing since 1999 that co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste will be banned at UK landfills from July 2004, it claims.
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Hazardous Waste Summit 2004 Providing more clarity on changes to UK hazardous waste regulations
Including speakers from:
London, March 24, 2004
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The motion predicts a rise in environmental crime because of a lack of suitable treatment facilities, particularly in south east England and calls on the government to provide clear leadership and more resources to the Environment Agency to tackle environmental crime.
And it claims the Hazardous Waste Forum, set up in 2003, was a waste of time “which took a year to identify issues which were known already.”
“Complacent”
Ms Doughty told letsrecycle.com the government was “complacent” about previous hazardous waste warnings. “One of the things I am particularly concerned about was Margaret Becket thought she was making good progress on it,” she said of the Secretary of State for the Environment. “My view is different – I believe no more progress has been made since DEFRA was part of the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (in 2001).”
”We have been perfectly open with the industry on all the issues surrounding hazardous waste needs.“
DEFRA
She criticised the delay in the UK of the Waste Acceptance Criteria on pre-treatment of waste for landfill – a major worry for waste companies – and suggested Environment Minister Elliot Morley's recent suggestion of putting hazardous waste cells on non-hazardous landfills did not take account of planning, building and transport issues.
A DEFRA spokesman insisted the government was working on proposals for the Waste Acceptance Criteria. “It's all in hand,” he said, “but there are a lot of factors to take into consideration.”
Mr Morley was confronted with waste industry concerns about guidance on hazardous waste recently at a private meeting with waste company members, the spokesman said. He added: “We are well aware of industry concerns. It's a big issue and we are working to find long term solutions.”
He denied the government had failed to provide clarity. “We have been perfectly open with the industry on all the issues surrounding hazardous waste both on capacity and treatment,” he said.
And on the question of whether hazardous waste could be the 'next fridge mountain', he said: “We'll just have to wait and see basically. I doubt it very much to be honest.”
Beckett
Margaret Beckett also faced criticism in another motion tabled by Liberal Democrat Norman Baker on the same day, for failing “to participate in any debate related to the environment since 2002.”
”Margaret Beckett doesn't come to the house and debate things.“
Sue Doughty
Ms Doughty said the motion was prompted by a Liberal Democrat-led discussion on the state of the environment on February 10, which Ms Beckett did not attend. “Margaret Beckett doesn't come to the house and debate things,” she said.
“If she was turning up occasionally we wouldn't mind… but she doesn't make statements on environmental issues.”
However, the DEFRA spokesman claimed Ms Beckett regularly championed the environment.
“Unfortunately Ms Becket could not attend the state of the environment debate because she was attending a cabinet meeting. On more environmental issues she is championing cases for the environment when she speaks in the House of Commons,” he said. “For example in the House last week she was debating the single farm payment and stressed the environmental spin-offs.”
“Just because she wasn't able to attend one debate which had the word 'e;nvironment' in it does not mean that she's not taking the issue seriously.”
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