Waste Management: Compost Sites

Questions

Asked by

Lord Redesdale
To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the results of the financial impact assessment on the Environment Agency's revised policy statement on bioaerosols. [HL3134]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham)
In October 2007, the Environment Agency issued a revised policy statement entitled Our position on composting and potential health effects from bioaerosols. This document clarified the requirement for a site-specific bioaerosol risk assessment if there is a workplace or dwelling within 250 metres of the composting site boundary. A financial impact assessment was not deemed to be appropriate as the document did not alter the original 2001 position.

Asked by

Lord Redesdale
To ask Her Majesty's Government who would meet the cost of relocating any previously identified open windrow compost site that is within 250 metres of a receptor and which does not have an environmental permit. [HL3135]

Lord Davies of Oldham
It is for the operator to decide the best course of action for their business and to meet the cost of fulfilling the regulatory requirements.

Asked by

Lord Redesdale
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many small-scale compost sites on farms have not met the requirements for a standard permit, in light of the Environmental Agency policy statement regarding the 250-metre rule. [HL3136]

Lord Davies of Oldham
Small-scale compost sites on farms are currently likely to operate under a registered exemption from an environmental permit.

When registering such sites, the Environment Agency is not required to ask for any information beyond its regulatory remit and therefore does not hold information on whether an exempt site is a farm or not.

Asked by

Lord Redesdale
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency has considered the environmental impact of moving compost sites further away from the waste arisings in considering the 250-metre rule. [HL3137]

Lord Davies of Oldham
The Environment Agency has not made any changes to regulation that would require existing permitted composting sites to relocate.

The Environment Agency has not considered the environmental impact of moving composting sites. Any operators that want to relocate their operations would need to consider the environmental impacts.