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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment (a) she and (b) the Environment Agency has made of the (i) impact and (ii) financial impact of its draft guidance on (A) monitoring landfill gas engine emissions, (B) the management of landfill gas, (C) monitoring trace components in landfill gas and (D) gas treatment technologies for landfill gas engines on generating renewable energy from landfill gas; and what assessment has been made of the impact of each on (1) the financial viability of operating a landfill site and (2) small and medium enterprises generating renewable energy from landfill gas. [181219] Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency commissioned an independent impact assessment of costs and benefits associated with the introduction of its landfill gas guidance. The impact assessment was developed with input from the landfill industry and has been published on the Environment Agency's website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk The impact assessment demonstrated that the environmental benefits outweigh the costs, even when conservative assumptions were made on potential environmental benefits. The Landfill Directive requires that the full cost of landfilling be provided for within gate fees, and the Agency has publicly stated on a number of occasions that the cost of landfill needs to increase to reflect the real costs. Implementation of the Agency's landfill gas guidance will necessarily form part of these costs. The Agency holds regular liaison meetings with the relevant trade associations specifically to keep under review the implementation and consequences of its landfill gas guidance. This liaison group has agreed to review the guidance formally, two years after the date of issue: this will provide a timely opportunity to verify the predictions contained in the impact assessment.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

181219; 423 c693-4W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Air pollution Landfill Pollution Gases

Link

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