Meeting of the Parliament 03 September 2015
Like other members, I thank Margaret Mitchell for bringing to the chamber the important issue of the spreading of sewage sludge on land. I thank Angus MacDonald, too, for his amendment.
The issues that we are discussing are crucial to the quality of life of the communities and individuals affected. Margaret Mitchell talked about the intolerable conditions to which many people have been exposed. I agree that that is totally and utterly unacceptable.
For that reason I am grateful to my colleagues for their contributions to the debate. I know how tirelessly they have worked on behalf of their constituents. There is a petition before the Public Petitions Committee and there have been several parliamentary questions as well as written correspondence with the cabinet secretary. I appreciate and thank them for all their efforts in bringing the issue to the attention of the Parliament this afternoon.
As members will be aware, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, announced earlier this year that there would be a review of the storage and spreading of sewage sludge on land in Scotland. The debate is particularly timely as it allows that review to be informed by the points raised this afternoon.
The sludge review is being led by the Scottish Government, SEPA and Scottish Water. The purpose of the review is to find ways to promote safe sludge storage and use, and to protect local communities, public health and the environment.
The scope of the review has encompassed the use of sewage sludge on non-agricultural land for the purposes of restoration, as well as the spreading of sewage sludge on agricultural land. It has covered licensing of operators and activities, as well as treatment, testing and storage of sludge and health issues. I mention health issues because when the smell and stench get really bad it can exacerbate pre-existing health conditions, so we are looking to address that.
The review has also dealt with land classification, traceability, data management and monitoring issues. In addition, the review has considered possible improvements to legislation and guidance.
Most important of all, the review has taken full account of the needs of local communities in dealing with issues that directly affect them, such as odour and noise during unsocial hours. We know also that communication and consultation with those who live near sites where sewage sludge is used are important—a point raised by Claudia Beamish—and so we have looked at that, too.
The review team has engaged with a range of key stakeholders, including members of Avonbridge and Standburn community council, as well as Claudia Beamish and her constituents from Douglas community council, local authorities and Health Protection Scotland. That has enabled the team to hear about local experiences and concerns and the evidence on environmental and health effects.
I am aware of the experiences of the constituents of both Margaret Mitchell and Angus MacDonald in the Falkirk area, and I know that there have been other incidents in Scotland over the past couple of years that have led—rightly and understandably—to complaints. It is clear that sewage sludge has caused a significant problem in the Falkirk area, and I am pleased to see that Scottish Water has taken a number of remedial actions during the past few months to tackle those serious issues.