Councillors talking rubbish
16.08.2007
South Tyneside Green Party has labelled other parties in South Tyneside as the "Soot Squad" for their position on waste incineration. Labour, Progressive and Conservative councillors have warmed to incineration proposals in the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy. The strategy consultation, which ends on 20th August, has proposed a form of incineration known as 'Waste from Energy with Combined Heat and Power' (EfW with CHP), similar to the technique used in the disastrous Byker incinerator.
Two incineration alternatives, which are proposed as part of a range of options, would not only incinerate South Tyneside's waste but also that of Sunderland and Gateshead.
Green Party spokesperson Lynne Barber said:
"An industrial scale incinerator can belch out the equivalent of 300 wheelie bins of exhaust gases every single second and emit heavy metals and killer chemicals known as dioxins, which are linked to breast and testicular cancers. The emissions could precipitate a new public health crisis and those on low incomes will be hit hardest as incinerators are almost always built next to the most disadvantaged communities.
"The Strategy concedes that the incineration option "will generate additional hazardous waste", yet councillors from Labour, Progressive and Conservative parties give burning rubbish the thumbs up. This shows that there is no real opposition in council in South Tyneside, especially when it comes to environmental and public health concerns.
"The councillors' crusade to bring back the incinerators is bad news. No matter how hard the backers try to sell the myth that technology can give us clean green incineration, the reality is that there is no such thing as green incineration or a safe level of hazardous pollution.
"We hope that people get in touch with the council before the 20th August consultation deadline - to say yes to more recycling and no to incineration."