Safety in waste and Rubbish Disposal (SWARD) has lodged a request in the High Court for a judicial review of Gloucestershire County Council’s decision to grant Grundon Waste Management a new 20 year planning consent at its Wingmoor Farm site, Bishop’s Cleeve. Continue reading »
Feb 072012
The Environment Agency (EA) got more than they were expecting as part of their Environmental permit consultation regarding the Devonport incineratorm proposal.
On 31st January 2012 the EA’s Permitting Officer, together with the EA’s Lord Smith (Chairman of the Board), Dr Paul Leinster (Chief Executive) and Chris Howes (Head of Performance and Engagement), and others received a 56-page representation, with a special focus on incinerator bottom ash.
Download the Incinerator Bottom Ash document
The impressive document was produced by Neil Smith, Chair of the Buckfastleigh Community Forum, and is described by UKWIN Chair Tim Hill as:
The best collection of evidence reagrding incinerator bottom ash that I have seen to date.
According to Mr Smith:
The evidence we’ve gathered has implications for national policy that are serious enough to call to the attention of the Environment Agency’s Board of Directors. We believe that there is a legal basis to require public clarification of the issues raised before any new incinerator permits can be issued.
The document addresses several broad points, including:
- Misleading and erroneous claims that “bottom ash is inert”;
- Conflict between political and commercial expediency and the precautionary principle;
- Sampling and testing protocols of bottom ash;
- Hazardous status of bottom ash and ecotoxicity;
- Hazardous properties and exploding aggregate;
- Bottom ash leachate and risks of re-use;
- Heterogeneity and unnecessary pollution of waste streams; and
- The dangers associated with intermediate storage of bottom ash
If today you read only one 56-page document about incinerator bottom ash, let it be this one! Download the Incinerator Bottom Ash document
The Health Protection Agency have announced plans for a study on “whether there is a potential link between the emissions from MWIs and health outcomes, including: low birth weight, still births and infant deaths”. Continue reading »
Jan 032012
The Manchester-based Breathe Clean Air Group is calling for greater protection of children’s health after a study links biomass incineration and respiratory problems. Continue reading »
Dec 012011
Controversial Failed Incinerator Up For Sale
Neath Port Talbot Council has placed the controversial Crymlyn Burrows Incinerator up for sale. Continue reading »
Nov 282011
UKWIN received the following from Jane Green of the Coventry 2020 Zero Waste Project:
Dear All
This week is set to mark the end of PFI as we’ve known it. A Panorama programme is due to air today (Monday 28th November 2011) that focusses on the subject of PFI contracts, and on Thursday (1st December) we have the Treasury’s call for evidence for its inquiry into alternatives to PFI. Continue reading »
Campaign group SWARD (Safety in Waste and Rubbish Disposal) will today instruct barristers for legal opinion on their case against Gloucestershire County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for Grundon Waste Management to operate at Wingmoor Farm, Bishop’s Cleeve until 2029. Continue reading »
Nov 012011
SWARD (Safety in Waste and Rubbish Disposal) have issued a press release explaining how shocked they are by the speed of the Secretary of State’s rejection of their request for a public inquiry Continue reading »
ASA uphold complaints against Sita for misleading Shepperton ‘Eco Park’ marketing material SITA reliability and technology claims Continue reading »
UK campaigners are joining anti-incinerastion campaigners around the world for a Global Day of Action against waste and incineration.
For example, the Breathe Clean Air Group based in Urmston, Greater Manchester is calling upon supporters to burn calories not waste. They are holding “a walk to save the human race” protest march on Saturday 1st October 2011. The Group objects to the proposed Barton incinerator. The March sets off at 11 am from Golden Hill Park, next to Urmston shopping centre, and will cover a 2 mile circular walk along the footpaths of Urmston.
Breathe Clean Air Group‘s Chairman Pete Kilvert said:
We are walking along footpaths because we haven’t got police support for walking along the roads. We will make left turns only and we won’t cross over any major roads. We hope to get about 1,000 marchers taking part in this family day of action. The Breathe Clean Air Group is opposed to all biomass plants and incinerators throughout the UK. We are concerned about the tiny particles of toxic pollution that can drift on the breeze, meaning none of us are safe until they are all outlawed.
To mark the Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives (GAIA) Global Day of Action against waste and incineration Ivybridge (Devon) residents and EcoIvy have laid floral tributes at the site of the proposed 270,000 tonne incinerator at Lee Mill near Ivybridge. Local residents sympathise with communities in the UK and worldwide who are already living with the far reaching negative effects of mass burn incineration.
EcoIvy spokes person Charlotte Mills said:
We are concerned for our families, friends and neighbours who will be affected directly and indirectly by the proposals for a huge incinerator burning commercial and industrial waste on our door step and the incinerator. Residents have good reason to be concerned. The Lee Mill incinerator will be less than 300 meters from the nearest homes and less than two miles from Ivybridge. Another incinerator is proposed for Devonport in Plymouth city that proposes to burn south Devon’s household waste.
Mills said:
This appears to be a local problem that is repeated nationally. Planning applications and proposals for incinerators are popping up all over the country. All of these are feircly opposed by residents, businesses and environmental groups.
GAIA’s Global Day of Action is designed to highlight Zero Waste solutions to the problems associated with incineration. Under the heading: No public funds for dirty energy GAIA members around the world are calling for an end to public subsidies for waste incineration, and are looking instead for financial resources to support community-led, job-generating and climate-friendly solutions to waste and toxic pollution.
Joan Marc Simon, GAIA Coordinator for Europe explains:
Incineration is very expensive, creates very few jobs, wastes energy, delays the fight against global warming, it destroys finite resources and is non-sustainable. It is outrageous that public money should support this industry. We don’t have either the money or time to waste on this dead end solution. The money would be far better spent on a ambitious effort to move our throwaway societies to a Zero Waste future. Instead of burning the residual fraction we need to make it very visible and say to industry: ‘If we can’t reuse it, recycle it or compost it, industry shouldn’t be making it’.
UK Campaigners are also being urged to sign the online petition to instigate a tax on waste incineration in the hope that this will encourage local authorities and waste companies to provide better facilities for reuse and recycling of waste.
Sep 162011
In a Green MSP media release, entitled: Incineration is a dangerous distraction from zero waste, we learn that Green MSPs have during a debate at Holyrood today (15th September 2011) called for the Scotland Government to:
…urgently revise its ‘Zero Waste’ strategy to bring in a moratorium on new incinerators.
