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(2004/C 84 E/0351)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0063/04

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) and Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject:   Incineration of railway sleepers

Three combustion plants for sludge, household waste and railway sleepers respectively are planned in the cross-border Europark industrial zone between the municipality of Coevorden in the Netherlands and Emlichheim in Germany. The combined processing capacity will be 720 000 tonnes a year. Electricity will also be generated (60 Megawatt hours a year) which is to be marketed as ‘green power’.

Railway sleepers are treated with wood preservatives such as tar and creosote and should be regarded as hazardous waste under Decision 2000/532/EC. The incineration of railway sleepers is controversial owing to the proven emission into the air, soil and water of fine dust, heavy metals (chromium and arsenic), hydrocarbons and dioxins.

Old railway sleepers are so heavily contaminated with chemicals that they need to undergo detoxification in special plants just like hazardous chemical waste.

The developers of the combustion plants are keen to have the licensing issue settled by 20 June 2004 as after that date it will no longer be possible to build waste incineration plants. The licence would be valid for 20 years.

Does the European Commission not agree that the incineration of impregnated railway sleepers should be prohibited?

Does it not share the view that electricity generated from waste incineration should never be designated green power as this misleads consumers about its origin?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 2004)

All installations which incinerate waste have to comply with Directive 2000/76/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 4 December 2000 (1). The Directive covers incineration and co-incineration plants. According to Article 2(2) wood waste, which may contain halogenated organic compounds or heavy metals as a result of treatment with wood-preservatives or coating, are not excluded from the scope of the Directive. That means incineration plants incinerating railway sleepers which are treated with wood preservatives such as tar and creosote have to meet all requirements laid down in Directive 2000/76/EC. These requirements include emission limit values for heavy metals, dioxins and furans and total organic carbon which could be relevant for the incineration of such waste. It would not appear that restrictions are necessary concerning the incineration of such wastes.

Directive 2001/77/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal energy market (2) includes biomass in the definition of renewable energy sources. Biomass is defined in the Directive as ‘the biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from agriculture (including vegetal and animal substances), forestry and related industries, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste’. As railways sleepers are made from wood, this definition allows them to contribute to the generation of electricity from renewable sources as envisaged by Directive 2001/77/EC.

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(1)OJ L 332, 28.12.2000.

(2)OJ L 283, 27.10.2001.

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