Friday 31 July 2009

INVERGORDON INCINERATOR - NO TO WASTE!

Highland Council has registered a planning application to create a Waste Transfer Station in Invergordon at the location of the former British Aluminium plant. In addition to that application a private company Combined Power and Heat Highland Ltd has registered an application to build a Waste to Energy Incinerator at the former British Aluminium Plant Car Park. This incinerator will run 24/7 and process waste from all over the Highlands.
INVERGORDON COMMUNITY COUNCIL has objected to both these planning applications and created an electronic petition which they are urging the public to sign and support. Follow this link http://www.iintw.org.uk/ or click on the title above to register your support: INVERGORDON INCINERATOR - NO TO WASTE!

3 comments:

Ted said...

But it's Scottish Government policy to let local authorities burn up to 25% of their waste. Why shouldn't Highland Council follow your Ministers' lead?

Rob Gibson MSP, Highlands & Islands (SNP) said...

You're right, the Scottish Government leaves it to local authorities to address local issues. But the question remains, why there?
These kinds of schemes and projects are the sort which we don't know yet whether they work fully and to specification. Planning applications must be scrutinised, comparisons must be made to models of best practice and what works elsewhere, and critical local input must be taken into consideration.
The fundamental question to be asked though, is what will be incinerated? What materials? Is it going to eat into the stream of materials being recycled by likes of GREAN? If so, why is a project being considered that both damages alternate local efforts which are also more environmentally sound.

NAIL 2 said...

Rob, I think you are right.

I look at this sorry affair like this.Cromarty Firth SNP councillor Maxine Smith has it totally right!

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1358662?UserKey=

1) Scottish government should put local councils off procuring EfW/CHP incinerators; either by a ban, an incinerator tax, or an IBA to landfill tax. Yes accept 20-25% of total waste might be difficult mixed residual; but different approaches/technologies required."Best Technology BAT"

2) Scottish government should be preferencing alternative more environmentally friendly technologies such as small scale decentralised Arrowbio; MBT/AD; AD of food waste, Plasma Gasification and GasPlasma; all "efficient" CHP capable. Did waste/planning officials tell the council/public of these proven options; probably not. Whilst pushing burner bids, they are keeping these alternatives quiet; and not giving locals any choice or prescriptionto the technologies employed. Technology is the sole holy grail of waste company preference and official rubber stamping; with COSLA/SEPA,DEFRA blessing. All incinerator (they spin EfW/CHP spin/guises for this outdated technology)apologists, prescribers or appeasers. These bodies have done no epidemiological studies on incinerator PM2.5 fine particles or nano particles. These are "new" emission concerns very different from traditional and lessened dioxin/furans concerns. Experts who have researched air pollution, twin towers, gulf war and balkan war syndrome are hugely concerned about long term incinerator fine/nano particle exposure/emissions over 25-30 years.

This central techology neutral, CHP pic n mix; incinerator skew has to change; the Scottish government needs to prescribe non incinerator technologies to local councils and waste companies!


"Councillors had been greeted on their arrival by more than 100 placard-waving objectors. That number had doubled by the start of the meeting and most stayed for the entire debate, which ended after 5pm.
The exchanges were dominated by a perceived risk to public health, possible blight of the area and road safety dangers caused by a big increase in lorry traffic accessing the proposed site from the notorious Tomich junction on the A9 Inverness-Thurso road."

"Celebrating the committee’s decision, Cromarty Firth SNP councillor Maxine Smith said: “Unanimously, Tomich junction was an issue, so I’m glad that will now be investigated. It will add impetus to that.

“But I am so disappointed with the officers’ report, which was not objective. It never mentioned the health issues. It was a centralistic agenda put together by officials in Inverness and was skewed towards granting it.”
Highland Council chief executive Alistair Dodds is considering a plea from SNP.

Rob Whittle
NAIL2