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Proceeding contribution from Malcolm Moss (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 22 November 2005. It occurred during Adjournment debate on Contaminated Brownfield Sites.


Contaminated Brownfield Sites

: I accept that the individual characteristics of a site such as the geology and the soil should be taken on board. If there is a CLEA model that says that the acceptable level of benzo(a)pyrene, which the Minister acknowledges is widespread, is only 1 mg per kg of soil and the compound is known to be carcinogenic, surely someone living in a house and garden where the reading is 15 mg per kg will panic. The matter is now in the public domain, so nobody will buy such houses unless somebody somewhere says—this is where the Government must take responsibility—that the risks to health arise at a level well above 15 mg per kg. The government must say that the figure is a tolerance level—that people can live there quite easily—and that with remediation, the problem goes away. That is the comfort zone that my constituents need, and I hope that the Minister can give me some idea of how he and his Department intend to satisfy that need.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
439 c363WH 
Session
2005-06
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Subjects
Brownfield sites Contamination Chemicals Environment Agency Pollution Property development Benzopyrene Littleport
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk