News Release : 10 August 2004

HAZARDOUS WASTE CRISIS IN THE SOUTH EAST

Government’s failure to plan for new European hazardous waste regulations means the South East has nowhere in the region to process its own hazardous waste. Urgent action is needed to create the necessary facilities for the treatment and disposal of waste classified as ‘hazardous’.

The Government and its agencies must show a much greater sense of urgency in helping resolve the capacity problems that their actions have created. This is the stark message from the South East England Regional Assembly’s Planning Committee Chairman Keith Mitchell.

Under the new rules, the number of UK landfill sites that accept hazardous waste has fallen from around 200 to less than 20. All landfill sites will now have to be categorised as inert, non hazardous or hazardous.

Cllr Keith Mitchell, Chairman of South East England Regional Assembly’s Planning Committee said: “It is disappointing that so little effective progress has been made to date with managing hazardous waste under the new regulations. The Government should have seen the problem coming. It has had plenty of time to put an effective programme in place. It now needs to encourage and help the private sector to invest in new facilities to manage hazardous waste. There has been unacceptable delay and complacency in Government circles and a tendency to blame others. This must stop if we are to avoid another ‘fridge mountain fiasco’.

“The Assembly identified in the consultation draft of the Regional Waste Management Strategy, published 18 months ago, that hazardous waste needs to be addressed but we have been stalled by inadequate data and guidance from Government. We need to make rapid progress at the regional level and we will play our part in helping to remedy this problem but central government has to lead the way.”

Action plan

The Assembly has drawn up a six-point action plan on the way forward. It will assist by:

• Calling on Government to prepare a contingency plan with emergency funding to manage unavoidable short term impacts, including the need to subsidise on-site treatment schemes;
• Urging Government to create a public information programme;
• Calling on Government and its agencies to make sure rules against unauthorised dumping are enforced;
• Producing plans on the number and location of hazardous waste sites needed;
• Planning guidance to protect landfill capacity for hazardous waste;
• Encouraging development of new treatment capacity.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. Clarification of the hazardous waste produced in the South East Region in 2001: 32% was construction and demolition wastes, 25% oil/water mixes, 13% from petrol/gas refining industries, 6% organic chemicals, 2% waste water/sewage treatment, 2% inorganic chemicals, and 12% otherwise unspecified or unclassified. The remaining 9% is made up of wastes such as paints and varnishes, waste from the photographic industries, metal industries, solvents, packaging/cleaning and filter materials.
2. Assuming growth of hazardous waste in the region reflects anticipated national growth, future hazardous waste in the South East could rise to approximately 795,000 tonnes by 2007.
3. The regeneration of contaminated sites, for example in the Thames Gateway, will be very costly. Developers will have to seek alternative methods of managing this material. This could include on-site or off-site treatment of contaminated materials or transportation to distant landfills. Treatment, also called remediation, is more sustainable and the preferred option. This is despite the increases in costs, possible reduction of viable regeneration sites that are contaminated and heightened risk of unauthorised disposal.
4. The Regional Waste Management Strategy is available to download from our Publications Section.
5. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
6. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
7. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007