Mar 2008
27.3.08 Freedom of Information Requests have managed to get most of the WRG contract out in public view (where it should be in the first place). See here.
30.1.08
Incinerator
Licence Revoked
Here
is
the Environment Agency’s latest decision.
Opponents
of proposals to construct a 250,000 ton household waste incinerator at
Saltend have been successful in persuading the Environment
Agency to revoke the vital IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and
Control) permit following several weeks of intense legal
activity .
Local
action group HOTI (Hull and Holderness Opposing the Incinerator) have
battled throughout the past 2 years, initially against the granting of
planning approval by the Hull and the East Riding Councils, and more
recently their technical team, lead by Malcolm Lynn, has robustly opposed
the issuing of the IPPC permit. He and his team were heartened
by the success recently of a similar group at Newhaven on the south coast
who were able to persuade the EA to quash the
permit for an mass waste-burning incinerator of similar size.
Malcolm
Lynn said, "The Environment Agency in both cases has
conceded that insufficient account had been taken of the potential harm
which would have been caused by the emission from the incinerator chimneys
of massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere".
Hedon Town Councillor, and HOTI spokesman, John Dennis said, “This is certainly the best news we have had since we embarked on this campaign and whilst we accept that the war has not yet been won, this is a very important victory for the local communities.
"Now that the Environment Agency has virtually capitulated, hopefully the Joint Waste Committee of Hull and the East Riding will take on board what we have been telling them for the past 2 years. Incineration is harmful to our atmosphere and to the people of this and future generations who would have to breathe in the toxic gases from this plant.
"The HOTI
Committee is grateful for the support of Friends of the Earth and
East Yorkshire EYE during these difficult times and we must also say how
much we have appreciated the help of our lawyer, Phil Michaels, of Friends
of the Earth, and the barrister Richard Harwood who regards this as a very
solid and significant victory.
Now
is the chance for the two Authorities and their waste contractor WRG
(Waste Recycling Group) to reconsider the whole issue without losing
face. Hopefully they will have the courage to start this whole process
again and come up with a solution to our waste issue, which is both
environmentally and financially sustainable. HOTI's technical team would be
very willing to join in any discussions”
Many
local authorities and waste management companies around the world are
discarding incineration in favour of other more acceptable
methods of dealing with the growing amounts of rubbish, which
have less of an impact on our planet. Global warming is a fact
of life in the 21st century and we should be doing all we can to ensure we
are not adding to the pollution of the atmosphere"
HOTI's
solicitor Phil Michaels, Head of Legal at Friends of the Earth’s Rights
& Justice Centre, said, “We are very pleased that the Environment
Agency have decided to revoke the incinerator permit in response to
HOTI’s significant legal concerns. An
‘electricity from waste’ incinerator such as that proposed for Saltend
produces more carbon dioxide from fossil fuels (such as plastics in
rubbish) than a gas-fired power station. Building an incinerator to deal
with Hull's and East Yorkshire's rubbish would be a step in the wrong
direction in the fight against climate change.”
MOAZZAM BEGG Guantanamo prisoner, March 31st, Hull, Quakers
Hull Stop the War WEDS 8pm, Quakers, Bean St.
Iran Attack?? Cenotaph, Hull 5.00pm