asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the nature of the monitoring being carried out at those waste disposal sites described in his answer to the hon. Member for Consett on 27th April 1975 as presenting a potentially serious risk to water supplies and being under surveillance.
Ensuring that waste disposal sites do not present an environmental hazard is part of the statutory responsibility of waste disposal authorities. The exact nature of the surveillance imposed varies amongst the sites referred to, but includes discussions with site operators about disposal practices, monitoring of notifications under the Deposit of Poisonous Waste Act, and on-site investigations. In addition water authorities regularly test water abstracted for drinking purposes.