To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment from what date he means to fix the emission level for formaldehyde production at 2mg/m3; and what staff resources will be devoted to policing this limit.
Guidance will be issued to local authorities early next year, under part I of the Environmental Protection Act, on appropriate standards of air pollution control from chipboard manufacturing plant. Responses to the recent consultation on the final draft of that guidance, which proposed an emission limit of 2mg/m3 for formaldehyde, are currently being considered.Responsibility for exercising control over chipboard processes will rest with local authorities, who will be able to recover the reasonable costs of exercising their new air pollution control functions under a charging scheme being drawn up under section 8 of the Act.