Will England take Welsh waste? asks Bates

Mick Bates AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson, today commented on the lack of Labour Assembly Government (LAG) waste contingency planning for the impact of forthcoming regulations.

He said: "These regulations will have an incredible impact on Wales, particularly in terms of hazardous waste; LAG has failed to prepare for this problem, and now producers of hazardous waste, such as farmers, will have to foot the bill for carrying it across the border".

Mr Bates' comments follow the announcement by the Environment Agency that after the end of co-disposal early next year, the number of hazardous waste landfills in England and Wales will plunge from 182 to 14, a drop of 92%: Wales will not have a single site left.

"The government is falling behind on the minimisation of both municipal and hazardous waste, it is not keeping its local government partners to the agreed targets", said Mr Bates, "How we deal with our waste is fast becoming one the most significant social and environmental issues facing us today".