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Countdown to hazardous waste crisis: 1 day to go - Doughty

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 15th Jul 2004

Sue Doughty MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Minister, has issued a final warning regarding the hazardous waste crisis expected to unfold on Friday when the co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes ends.

With the introduction of new rules agreed in the 1999 Landfill Directive, the number of eligible merchant sites for disposal of hazardous waste will fall from over 200 to just 12, with no sites in Wales or the South East.

Commenting, Sue Doughty MP said:

"Serious mismanagement by DEFRA is going to create a serious crisis, starting this weekend. The Government has failed to ensure that new treatment facilities are in place and that businesses are fully informed of the changes.

"Ministers have been aware of this deadline since 1999, but waste management companies and their customers have still not been given the full technical details they need to invest in new treatment processes. Some areas, such as Wales and London, will be left without any disposal sites.

"The worrying result will be thousands of lorries driving hazardous waste around the country looking for a site, and a huge increase in fly-tipping.

"We are going to see hazardous waste diverted from landfill to lay-by."

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Previous news story: SCOTLAND: Single survey pilot just the start says Radcliffe (Wed 14th Jul 2004).
Next news story: Abandoned cars to rise by 45,000 vehicles a week - Doughty (Fri 16th Jul 2004).

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