Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Wednesday, 2 April 2008.

Waste Management: Brofiscin Quarry

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of the presence of dioxins and dibenzofurans in the Brofiscin landfill site; whether Monsanto confirmed this in 2007; and why the Environment Agency Wales (EAW) did not type the aroclors found as polychlorinated biphenyl congeners at the site when this would have enabled the EAW to pinpoint the source of the PCBs.

Answer: The Environment Agency is aware of the presence of dibenzofurans in Brofiscin Quarry. In accordance with the provisions of Part 2A Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Statutory Guidance, the Environment Agency is responsible for considering the significant pollutant linkages that form the basis of the local authority's ““Record of Determination””. Dioxins, dibenzofurans and aroclors are not included in that determination. In the course of its investigations under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Environment Agency has received information relating to Brofiscin Quarry from various sources including Monsanto. Where that information has related to potential additional contaminants at the site, it has been passed to the local authority. The Environment Agency considered that the analysis of congeners (individual PCB compounds) offered advantages over the analysis of aroclors (commercial mixtures of PCB compounds) for the purpose of environmental risk assessment as the toxicity of PCBs is congener specific.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 700 c186-7WA; 2534
Session: 2007-08
Subjects: Contamination Chemicals Waste disposal Polychlorinated biphenyls Monsanto Brofiscin Quarry
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk