Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made on the potential effect of (a) operating and (b) defunct landfill sites on health outcomes for residents who live within a one kilometre radius of those sites.

Whilst we have made no overall assessment of the potential effect of either operating or defunct landfill sites on health outcomes for residents who live within a one kilometre radius of those sites, the Environmental Permitting regime regulates the network of permitted and exempt waste sites that safely treat or dispose of waste.

The regulations protect against pollution which could cause damage to the environment or human health. The regulations include requirements for how sites operate and powers for the Environment Agency to intervene to address poor performance or tackle illegal activity. It is an offence to treat or dispose of waste outside of an appropriate permit or exemption. A defunct landfill may well not be subject to the permitting regime, which means it can be assessed by a Local Authority to establish whether it should be classified as contaminated land. Where serious contamination exists, the Local Authority can refer responsibility for the site to the Environment Agency.