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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the frequency and methodology of sampling for dioxin emissions at the SELCHP incinerator. [38829] Margaret Beckett: [holding answer 28 February 2002]: Dioxin emissions from SELCHP are regularly monitored by the operators on a six-monthly basis to check compliance with the EU-wide emission standards. Additionally, the Environment Agency carries out independent check monitoring at a minimum frequency of once per year. All monitoring results, including those carried out by the operators, are available on public registers held at the offices listed. The emissions monitoring methodology is based on US Environmental Protection Agency Method 23. This requires samples to be taken over a period of six to eight hours, at a variety of locations in the stack. Samples are then removed for laboratory analysis using sophisticated and time consuming techniques. Public registers containing monitoring results for SELCHP are available at: London Borough of Lewisham Laurence House 1 Catford Road Catford and The Environment Agency Swift House Frimley Business Park Frimley Surrey.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

38829; 381 c359W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Combined heat and power Air pollution EU law Incinerators Monitoring Research Waste disposal Testing Dioxins South East London Combined Heat and Power

Link

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