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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent studies have been conducted by (a) his Department, (b) non-departmental public bodies responsible to his Department and (c) consultants on behalf of his Department into the clean up of (i) radioactively contaminated land and (ii) land contaminated by non- radioactive toxic pollution. [61963] Mr. Ingram: In 1995 the Ministry of Defence embarked on a prioritised programme to assess the land quality across the defence estate. More than 600 land quality assessments have been carried out across the defence estate since the start of the programme. The land quality assessment work carried out to date has indicated that the majority of the defence estate is free of contamination, and where contamination has been identified, it has been predominantly localised and confined to soil horizons. The common contaminants are metals, fuels, oils and lubricants, solvents, and to a lesser extent, asbestos and radionuclides from luminised instruments. Where contamination has been encountered, appropriate management actions have been taken.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

61963; 387 c200-1W;387 c201W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Consultants Contamination Land Pollution Pollution control Radioactivity Ministry of Defence Research

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk