Waste Incineration: Regulation
Debate between Carolyn Harris and John Grogan(5 years, 8 months ago)
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John Grogan
I agree. Many residents feel that the Environment Agency’s job seems to be to try and do everything possible to nod through the application rather than rigorously interrogate it. Indeed, as I pointed out in my opening remarks, the Environment Agency has responsibilities under the Waste Regulations (England and Wales) 2011, passed by the coalition, to enforce the waste hierarchy, which puts reuse and recycling at the top. It fails to do this.
Carolyn Harris (Swansea East) (Lab)
In my constituency of Swansea East, in the very pleasant community of Llansamlet, Biffa is currently attempting to get permission to build one of those incinerators and 2,500 members of the local community have come together to object. Does my hon. Friend agree that placing such a facility in the middle of a community is detrimental to its health, schools and homes and that we should be looking at other ways of disposing of our waste?
John Grogan
I am quite shocked by that application, but it mirrors an application in the centre of Keighley, to which I will refer in my closing remarks.