Countdown To Hazardous Waste Crisis - 3 Days To Go

11.24.35am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 13th Jul 2004

Sue Doughty MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Minister, has called a debate today (Tuesday) to warn the Government that its failure to address the disposal of hazardous waste will have a disastrous effect on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

On Friday (July 16th) a ban on the co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste will come into place under the Landfill Directive. Despite being aware of this deadline since 1999, the Government has failed to prepare and has neglected to properly inform the business community.

Under the new rules the number of eligible sites for treatment of hazardous waste will fall from over 200 to around 10, with no facilities in Wales or the South East.

Commenting ahead of the debate, Sue Doughty MP said: "It is scandalous that the Government has known that it needed to act on hazardous waste since 1999. Yet days before the new rules come into force, the businesses have not been informed of the changes.

"With few or no local facilities available there is a real risk that cowboy contractors will take hazardous waste produced by small and medium businesses and dump it illegally.

"The lack of facilities will push up the price of disposal massively - with gate fees and transport costs set to soar.

"The business community desperately wants to conform to the new rules, but without the necessary information it cannot.

"With three days to go, it's high time the Government treated this crisis with the urgency it deserves."

ENDS

Notes

1. Sue Doughty MP will hold an adjournment debate "The Impact of the Landfill Directive on small businesses" in Westminster Hall at 1pm, Tuesday 13th July.

2. A full report on the hazardous waste crisis, compiled by Sue Doughty MP, is available on request. Please call Sally Burnell, Lib Dem Press Office, on 020 7227 1240.

2. EDM 1488 tabled 8 July 2004 by Sue Doughty MP

SMALL BUSINESSES AND HAZARDOUS WASTE

That this House notes the ending of co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste on 16th July; is concerned that there will be insufficient treatment capacity and an expected fall in the number of eligible merchant sites for disposal from over 200 to around 10, with no sites in Wales or the South East; notes that the majority of hazardous waste producers are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); is concerned that the Government has failed to precede these changes with a campaign to inform SMEs of new treatment standards for hazardous waste required from 16th July; notes the danger that, in seeking to reduce increased costs and without a full understanding of their obligations, SMEs might be drawn to using cheaper, unlicensed waste contractors who are likely to fly-tip; encourages waste management contractors actively to inform their customers of the regulatory changes, their responsibilities and opportunities to minimise the financial burden through hazardous waste minimisation; and calls upon the Government to rapidly roll out information and awareness raising programmes for SMEs, particularly focusing on business that will be affected by new entries in the European Waste Catalogue.