The public inquiry into plans to expand Nottingham’s Eastcroft Incinerator began today (Tuesday 9th September 2008) and is expected to run for three weeks. Anti-incineration campaign group NAIL (Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill) has submitted evidence, as have WRG and Nottingham City Council.

Although the main bodies involved with the inquiry are the City Council (who oppose the expansion), Waste Recycling Group (WRG) and NAIL, members of the public and interested parties are allowed to and encouraged to take part. The inquiry will be held at The Hilton Hotel, 38 Milton Street, Nottingham, NG1 2PZ (next to the Victoria Centre).

The inquiry takes place against a backdrop of further pollution breaches at Eastcroft. According to NAIL:

Waste Recycling Group have again shown utter contempt by reporting two further pollution breaches within two weeks. On July 8 carbon monoxide (CO) released into the atmosphere exceeded the permitted limit for 30 minutes, two weeks later carbon in bottom ash also exceeded permitted levels.

Although carbon in ash and carbon monoxide in the flue gasses in themselves are not of great concern, the levels are a measure of the performance of the incinerators. A poorly performing incinerator will produce more of these levels as complete combustion is not achieved, along with other more toxic poisons. Therefore during these periods the incinerator would not be performing effectively and many toxic poisons not being monitored would be released into the atmosphere where they will ultimately be consumed by the public.

These breaches follow an enforcement notice and formal warning issued to WRG by the Environment Agency (EA) after unfiltered emissions were released on two separate occasions earlier this year. The enforcement notice required WRG to undertake a comprehensive review of its maintenance programme for its flue gas treatment system. WRG failed to provide the EA with evidence that critical temperature monitoring equipment had been maintained.

An exasperated Jon Beresford explains:

Despite this action from the EA, it is obvious that WRG have utter contempt for the regulator as they do for our health as they continue to operate this incinerator with incompetence.

The Nottingham Evening Post reports that:

It was expected that today’s proceedings will include opening statements and a site visit.