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Against
Aberdeen's Proposed Domestic Waste Incinerator
May 3rd, 2000 Aberdeen City Council, in a meeting of the Environment and
Infrastructure Committee from which the press and the public are excluded,
decides to hand over its waste disposal duties to SITA, a French
multinational, in a twenty-five year contract. The minute of the meeting makes it clear that an
incinerator is part of the deal. The public are not
informed.
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November 2000 – Aberdeen City Council publishes a detailed draft waste
strategy for public consultation. No mention is made in this of an incinerator.
Aberdeen City Council speaks instead of the ‘Proximity Principle’, the
‘Precautionary Principle’, the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’.
|
Captain's Log Supplemental:- For any String Band fans out there “They know all the words, and they sing
all the tunes, but they never quite learned the song”. Interested parties
in Aberdeen FoE waste their time (pun intended) responding to this fake
consultation, hoping to guide our City Fathers (and in these days of gender
equality, City Mothers) towards more sustainable waste disposal options. |
|
December 5th 2000 – The Evening Express publishes an article saying
that Aberdeen City Council has plans to build a 120,000 tonne incinerator in
partnership with a French multinational, SITA. E-mails are sent out to all
and sundry.
|
December 2000 – We are told that Torry Community Council, the community most
likely to get the incinerator, are having a meeting. It is suggested that
we go along and tell them they are about to have an incinerator. We go along, but they’ve heard already, and it’s on the agenda. We share our
knowledge, and fears. And have a pre-Christmas glass of wine.
|
| December 2000 – Members of Aberdeen Friends of the Earth go through the
Council Minutes at the Central Library, and find the Minute of 3rd
May. They find the sentence ‘it had been agreed that the future waste disposal
requirement of the Council should be achieved by the provision of an energy
from waste facility supported in the medium term by disposal to
landfill’.
They realise that Aberdeen City Council has already decided, behind closed
doors, and without public consultation, to build a huge incinerator costing
millions of pounds and burn all the waste.
| Captain's Log Supplemental:- In fact, more than all the
waste. Aberdeen only produces 110,000 tonnes of waste. Where is the extra
waste coming from? Is this industrial waste, from de-commissioning
oil-rigs? Is it extra waste from Aberdeenshire? There is no allowance for
any level of composting or recycling. What kind of deal is that, where a
planning authority signs a contract with a company for an multi-million
pound incinerator, paid for from the Council Tax, knowing that in due course
the company will apply for planning permission for that incinerator?
How are we to believe that they intend
anything other than an incinerator when they are so secretive?
Who elected these people? |
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| December 21st - Aberdeen Friends of the Earth take to the streets. Three
Christmas fairies and three choir boys go to the Council Offices at St Nicks,
to deliver at Christmas card for our Councillors and to sing them a little
festive song. A version of the 12 days of Christmas.
| Captain's Log Supplemental
:-
A seasonal message for Aberdeen Council
|
The song start with “On the twelfth day of Christmas my
Cooncil gave to me......and ends....a brand new incinerator.” Despite this
provocation, no-one gets arrested. And, despite the photogenic qualities of
the choir boys, we don’t get our photograph in the Evening Express. Not
surprising, really, from a newspaper that said, on the 5th of December
‘The Evening Express welcomes Aberdeen City Council’s decision to build a
giant waste incinerator. The incinerator may not get the vote of the Green
Lobby but the reality is that it’s more acceptable than landfill sites.’
We did get some press coverage, and after we had left the Council offices and
been joined by Santa Claus and a Christmas Pudding, £200 from the general
public in an hour. (thank you) |
|
January 4th – Aberdeen Friends of the Earth have an early post-New Year
meeting. There’s real dedication for you. The meeting is well attended,
and it turns out that Aberdeen City Council have, in the interests of more
open, transparent and accountable local government, arranged a public question and answer session. Forms are available from the
libraries we are told. It is decided (amongst many other things) to ask our Council a couple of
incinerator questions.
- There are no forms in the Central Library on the morning of January 6th.
- There are no forms on the evening of January 6th, and January 7th is a
Saturday, so the Library can’t even phone the Council to ask about the
forms.
- The Central Library has forms by January 8th, but
- A telephone enquiry to the Council informs us
that the public question and answer session has been fully
booked!!
- How can that be? The central library said
they had no forms to give us. They therefore did not distribute them to the
branches as they normally would.
Question time. Three questioners did somehow
manage to comply with all required documentation. We never did find out
how... Over 50 people, were present. Len Ironside in the chair, said how disappointed he
was that more people didn’t have questions!! He was told about the problems over
the forms, and an attempt was made to ask our questions. The attempt is well
supported by the angry electorate, but is knocked down by an application
of the Rules for the Meeting which had been handed out to everyone on
arrival. A member of FoE jumps in at just the right moment and asks if all
the people who have brought written questions can have a written answer as
laid out in the same Rules for the Meeting. So the Chair looks at his
audience and decides to follow his own rules rather than wrap it up and go
home which appeared to be what he planned. The whole charade is over in twenty minutes.
|
January 20th – Aberdeen Friends of the Earth write to the Council, asking,
as tax-paying citizens, for details of the contract.
|
February 2001 – Aberdeen Friends of the Earth prepare and send in a response
to the Renewables Obligation saying why they think burning rubbish is not a
renewable form of energy. This is significant, because of government subsidies for renewable forms of energy. These subsidies are meant to
encourage solar, wind and wave power.
- AFoE feel that using them to promote turning non-renewable resources into toxic waste should not be subsidised.
- Aberdeen City Council and SITA send in a response to the same document,
saying why they think burning rubbish is renewable.
Aberdeen FoE are in the majority, 78% of the respondents think burning garbage is not renewable.
|
Captain's Log Supplemental:- Aberdeen City Council are in company with all those who stand to make money
out of burning waste. Makes you wonder... |
|
| February 2001- AFoE make posters and put them up in the shops in Torry,
advising the citizens that they are about to have an incinerator.
|
 Captain's
Log Supplemental
:- We also suggest that they could reuse their
Valentines cards by sending them to the council with a request to
not incinerate them.
ValentineText
P.S. All you gardeners out there, what you’re doing is
impossible! |
We received an amazing e-mail from the Convenor of the Environment and
Infrastructure Committee informing us, amongst other things, that composting
is impossible in this climate without a lot of expensive technology.
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Top |
| February 23rd – The Regional Director of SITA
wrote to the Evening Express, saying he wants a dialogue with the people of Aberdeen.
So Aberdeen FoE take him up on his offer. More later.
We also write to MSPs, MPs, and our MEP, enclosing the
letter to the Council which was originally sent on 20th January, and asking if they can please get an answer, because we haven’t
been able to. |
March 2001 – Not much has happened in March.
Just
- Costumes have been made for a
"Recycling Saint", an "Incinerator Dragon" and a street stall made of cardboard and
newpaper have been put together.
- A public meeting has been arranged for May 14th with Robin Harper, MSP, Dr Richard Dixon from FoE and a
representative of SITA invited.
- SITA's planning application for a "Waste
Transfer / Civic Amenity site has been lodged with Aberdeen District
Council.
Although it could help recycling we have put in an objection to the planning
application on the basis that there appears to be a shortage of (water)
pollution control at the site.
- We finally received a response on the 28th
March from DG to our letter sent on the 20th January. Unfortunately
although he quotes one of our main concerns he does not answer it. He
has provided us with no reason to believe our concern is misplaced.
- "In my letter of 19 January 2001 I responded in regard to the capacity of
the proposed facility and I would advise you that I do not agree with your
comments amongst others in your letter of 20 January 2001 that the
arrangements "will militate against more environmentally sustainable
solutions to our waste problem, such as composting and recycling". The
contract includes composting, recycling as well as energy from waste and
when the proposals are fully implemented they will be a significant
improvement on previous arrangements which are almost wholly dependent on
landfill."
| A Public Meeting has been arranged for
May 14th 8pm in the Music Hall Aberdeen. Robin Harper,
MSP, Dr Richard Dixon from FoE and Mr Garvey of SITA have
agreed to talk to the meeting. Their presentations will be
followed by an equal time for questions. |
| Captains Log Supplemental:- there is a general
shortage of answers so far. We did find this...
March 23rd - The House of Commons Select Committee on the Environment
publish their 5th Report on Sustainable Waste Management. The Committee is
very scathing about incineration, saying this "will only ever play a limited
role in a system which aims for efficient resource use and sustainable waste
management". It also says that the government has "failed to analyse and
communicate the risks from incinerators". The full report is on
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/etrahome.htm , and is well worth
reading. |
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April 2001 –
*** Aberdeen has had to declare an air quality management
zone. ***
a sign of air pollution problems even without an
incinerator
- 21st April - Three members of Friends of the Earth go down to the FoE
activists conference in Dundee. We are not on our own. There are as many
as 11 incinerators planned for Scotland, so there are lots of worried people
out there. A meeting of FoES local groups followed the conference.
| Captain's log Supplemental :-
We have an exciting adventure on the way back, but two of us
have been sworn to secrecy.
[The automatic shuttle log has been mysteriously erased. The
pilot claims no knowledge of any problem with Klingons trying to
retain the shuttle because he did not read the sign and got back
after lock up.] |
- 23rd April, Cove Community Council meets with the man from SITA. The
incinerator is planned to be at Cove, behind the Shell building. The incinerator
keeps on growing. Mr Garvey is now talking about 150,000 tonnes per annum.
He has obviously read the Select Committee
Report, and knows if the recommendations become law, his industry will be out of business.
- The incinerator gets a public mention in the Evening Express.
- 24th April The Council discusses it Waste Consultation Paper. We, the
people of Aberdeen will be consulted on Waste Strategy over a year after the
Council has made up its mind. That's democracy (Jim; but not
as) we (want to) know it. Despite the
fact that Aberdeen City Council made up its mind to have an incinerator
before the contract with SITA, Councillor Kate Dean tells the meeting that
"it would concern me if the Council would be seen as instigating this".
Poor Kate must be worried about the electoral consequences of the voters in
Cove finding out about the meeting of 3rd May. A spokesman for Aberdeen
City Council stresses to the Evening Express that the waste plant is a
private development. It appears that our Councillors are not willing to
take responsibility for their decisions.
- 26th April. Torry Community Council decide to have a public meeting on 10th
May, at 7.30 pm at Tullos School, with representatives from SITA, SEPA and
local politicians present to answer questions about the incinerator.
Recycling Saint meets Incinerator Dragon
Photo's and comments on the proposed Aberdeen incinerator
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On the 14th May a debate was held at which SITA
addressed a meeting organised by Aberdeen FoE. Later, the Incinerator Dragon got a talking
too from at least one Scottish politician... what about the rest?
(click for large image)
The ongoing battle between the Incinerator Dragon and the Recycling Saint was
continued with supporting statements from parliamentary candidates. 31 May
2001 (b)
CANDIDATES ATTACK INCINERATOR PLANS
Cross-party support for rethink on Aberdeen incinerator 31 May 2001 (c)
PRO-INCINERATOR REPORT SLAMMED
Industry-funded study accused of bias 20th June 2001
June and July has seen considerable activity both in support of
Community Councils and in our own right at Aberdeen Environmental Forum
meetings. We have also produced our formal
responce to the Waste Strategy Consultation.
August has seen a formal complaint being submitted about the handling
of the "consultation" by Aberdeen Council. It has also seen a
local Member of the Scottish Parliament being refused access to the
information within the contract. Nicol Stephen complained publicly
following the councils refusal to allow an elected representative access
to information about how public money is to be spent.
The Saint and Dragon were seen at St Fittick's fair,
which was organised by Torry Community Council. The Dragon
accompanied the parade of floats to the fair ground and found itself to be
both footsore and derided by children traveling on the floats. After
reaching the fair ground it was repeatedly, symbolically and
enthusiastically killed by the junior local population. With a short
sketch performed within the show ring to make the point to the adults.
The fair was also used by the Torry based "No
Incinerator" group to make contact with and gather details of
concerned individuals from the area.
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Friday 16th
November 2001
An "away mission" was conducted to the planet Politician.
Appropriate protective clothing was utilised.
| Captain's log Supplemental :-
We were invited to a meeting with SITA and the MPs and MSPs for
Aberdeen. Time to look out that old suit from the back of the
cupboard. A 'frank exchange of views' follows. We don't get to
raise all the points that we think are important, but we do get to
ask SITA a few questions:
Q: Why will the incinerator have a capacity of 160,000 tonnes
p.a. when Aberdeen City Council's entire waste collection is only
123,000 t.p.a.?
A: We will not run the incinerator at full capacity to begin
with: we are planning for the future. We will also burn commercial
waste.
Q: What level does your Cleveland incinerator run at?
A: Close to full capacity.
Q: Can you give us an assurance that the incinerator will not
take in waste from Moray and Aberdeenshire?
A: No.
Q: Will you count the 'recycling' of incinerator ash for
construction aggregates towards your compulsory recycling target
of 25%? [This has been a major concern of ours. While the use of
bottom ash does reduce the use of virgin aggregate slightly, this
is only at the cost of the recycling potential of all the paper,
plastic, compostible waste, furniture, electronics, etc. which are
burnt to produce it, so it is hardly a positive step. There are
also questions about the safety of the ash, with the Environment
Agency recently confessing to misleading the Minister for the
Environment about the amount of dioxin in it. If SITA so chose,
they could meet their entire recycling target from bottom ash
'recycling'.]
A: If the Government and the Council let us. [At the time of
writing, they cannot in England, but can in Scotland. Lucky us.]
Q: Is SITA required by its contract to recycle separated
material that the Council delivers to it rather than burning it?
A: No (although we will of course make every attempt to).
So now we know. |
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Electronic messages have been received from the Torry based "No
Incinerator" group. These were posted on this web site
and also on its Bulletin board.
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Top
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Aberdeen FoE have looked at the planning documents that the council has
made available at their Broad Street building. We will be objecting in
writing in the near future. We will also be objecting as individuals
because the council will count the number of objections as well as the
number of signatures on petitions and letters in the press.
If, like us you have concerns about this
scheme, now is the time to send the council your written objections. Your
letter does not have to be long and complicated but sending it in is VERY
important.
|
|
2001 /2 :- An organisation known as the Society for Clean Air
published a report. Within that report they acknowledged that there are
many reasons for objecting to an incinerator. Water, dust pollution,
transport problems, encouragement of increased waste production,
difficulties of disposal of what the incinerator produces. They also
quietly mentioned that there were no current legally based air pollution
reasons for objecting to incinerators. This made headlines and has been
much touted by SITA.
| Captain's log Supplemental :-
(April 2002) We have experienced an attempted takeover by
the AoL people and have therefore moved to a new location. Some of
the existing references will be supplemented / replaced as time is
available. |
February 2002
We have been informed that Councilor Harris of Aberdeen City council
was elected to the board of the Clean Air Society in February. We found
out in April. (Nice one Ted, nothing to do with the report of
course).
A meeting was held by the "No
Incinerator" group at which a few of us attended. That
group will be writing a response.
Aberdeen FoE as objectors were asked to a meeting with SEPA in Aberdeen
to discuss the incinerator. We followed that up by submitting our response
in writing.
April 10 2002 :- Formal SEPA approval for the issuing of a Integrated
Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) authorisation has been
sought for the Altens site. The agency will determine whether the proposed
development complies with European legislation.
April 19 2002:- (P&J, EE 19 April) Aberdeen City Council planning
committee decided yesterday to hold a PUBLIC hearing into controversial
plans to build a waste incinerator in the Altens district of Aberdeen. Convener
councilor Brian Rutherford said it was crucial to have
"maximum public participation". [ ] The number of objections spiraled
to more than 3,000 - 2,865 signatures on six petitions and 434
protest letters. [ ] Letters from community councils across the city
flagged up a range of concerns including:
- The emission of toxic fumes
- The "intrusive" size of the facility
- That the facility goes against the planning consent of the land
[ ] major question marks remain over monitoring procedures, the
evaluation of alternative sites, a lack of information on the cumulative
effects of pollutants, emergency planning and the company's failure to
consider the effect of coastal haar on waste gas and ash.
May 2002:- Aberdeen Council are introducing the collection of green
waste in separate containers from general waste. They received an 18%
responce rate to their initial offer when they were expecting 10%. A
motion was passed at the FoES AGM and a Briefing note produced on the
subject of Scotlands waste.
| Captain's log Supplemental :-
Yee Haar!
The Friends of the Earth report "Incineration or something sensible?"
is available from their web site. There are also other documents
that may assist our councilors in their deliberations.
A selection of Documents of Waste is available from Aberdeen
Council.
Among other things they show that recycling and composting typically create X2 - 3 the number of jobs from incineration.
|
24th May 2002
Torry Community Council chairman Bob Gibb greeted the decision by
Energy Minister Brian Wilson against doubling the capacity of the energy
from waste plant, in Edmonton, with delight. [In the P&J ] In his
rejection letter, Mr Wilson's main concern was that approving the increase
would send out the wrong signal to the waste disposal companies and
disposal authorities because the Government's waste strategy "make it
clear that they should give priority to recycling and that incinerators
should be "apropriately sized".
NEWS
from the
SCOTTISH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY
Monday 27 May 2002
73-02
NORTH-EAST WASTE PLAN LAUNCHED
The North-east Waste Strategy Group has set out its proposals for dealing
with the area's waste over the next 20 years. The draft Area Waste Plan is
now out for consultation and explains how the North-east will meet tough
new European restrictions, particularly the requirement that less waste be
put in landfill sites.
The proposals include:
* Setting up kerbside pick-up schemes to collect separated waste from
homes. This will then be recycled and composted.
* Promoting waste minimisation to 'freeze' the amount of household rubbish
produced in the area at 2002's levels (about 320,000 tonnes a year).
* Introducing home composting for up to 15% of all suitable households,
and expand small-scale community composting.
* Increasing the number of recycling facilities, and the number of sites
that accept 'green' waste.
* Increasing the capacity for biological treatment (eg composting) in the
area from 60,000 tonnes to 150,000 tonnes by 2005.
* Reducing the volume of waste going to landfill.
The plan also sets out the role that will be played by a proposed energy
from waste plant in Aberdeen. The plant will generate electricity from
110,000 tonnes of the area's household waste. There may also be a need for
additional energy from waste facilities in the long term, but this will
depend on the success of recycling, biological treatment, and waste
prevention and education initiatives.
Copies of the consultation are available online from the consultations
section of SEPA's website - www.sepa.org.uk.
Printed copies will be
available within the next two weeks and can be reserved by emailing
newasteresponses@sepa.org.uk
or phoning SEPA on 01224 248338. The
consultation ends on 31 July 2002.
SEPA has also launched a consultation on its energy from waste
policy:
* news release - www.sepa.org.uk/news/releases/2002/pr067.html
* consultation - www.sepa.org.uk/consultation/EfWconsultation.pdf
For more background SEPA offers:
* www.sepa.org.uk/news/releases/2002/pr034.html
- consultation announced
* www.sepa.org.uk/nws/index.htm
- National Waste Strategy home page
And then during the visit on the Scottish Parliament to Aberdeen:-
Scottish Environment Minister comes out against incineration
Plans by French-waste company SITA to build a controversial waste
incinerator in Aberdeen have received a severe blow from Scottish
Environment Minister Ross Finnie. Comments by the Minister in Parliament
makes it more likely that North-east Waste Strategy Plan may have to be
entirely rethought as it currently does not to meet Government's
environmental objectives. The area's Waste Strategy Group recently set out
its draft proposals for dealing with the region's waste for the next two
decades. The strategy includes an incinerator. Mr Finnie said: "I am
concerned that the draft area waste plan for North-east Scotland proposes
the early development of new energy-from-waste capacity, whereas the
majority of other plans emphasise recycling and composting. I have made it
very clear that I do not want to see a rush to burn waste as an
alternative to landfill."
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Aberdeen Friends of the Earth
demonstrate: how to have fun for free.
At the recent Green City Fun Day the local
group demonstrated how to make kites out of waste plastic.
The result was a sky full of kites, a venue
full of smiling kids and less waste to tempt the council to
proceed with their incinerator proposal.
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December 2002
After a long time in "hyperspace" we now have the new
submission from SITA. The information requested by the council was
supplied on December the 5th. Unfortunately our local press seem to have
been a little bit ahead of reality. A week after the claimed submission
date the three inch thick document has still not arrived at the public
library.
So - the state of play is..
We appear to have 28days from December 5th's newspaper advert - to Jan
14th. Which nicely encloses the festive period.
New objections are allowed from new or old parties, but we have the
additional problem or getting the message out while everyone thinking
about celebrations.
It is expected to continue as follows...
There will be a Departure Hearing in March/April
Report to Planning Committee June/July
Full Council July/August
If ACC finds in favour of the proposal the matter will bounce up to
Scottish Executive for final judgment.
It would not be outrageous to suggest the Planning Inquiry could fall in
spring 2004, but they may just squeeze one in late 2003.
January 2003
Given the short timescale, the local No Incinerator group we have
prepared some information to help you lodge an objection (see our Bulletin
Board) . "Feel free to use and modify it as you wish. Please pass
it on to anybody you know who may want to object to the incinerator."
It is
still important that we get as many objections
submitted as possible.
February 2003
We are all waiting to see what happens next. There will be a delay
while responces are considered and local politicians are voted back into
office, or not. But meanwhile
SCOTLAND SET TO TACKLE WASTE
Executive to publish National Waste Plan
Scotland's long-awaited National Waste Plan will be launched today
(Monday 24 February 2003) by Environment Minister, Ross Finnie, at
the EICC in Edinburgh. Commenting ahead of the announcement
Friends of the Earth's Head of Research, Dr Dan Barlow, said:
'We look forward to the publication of Scotland's National Waste
Plan. It is largely down to the lack of a coordinated strategy
that Scotland's record on waste has been so terrible. Today's
announcement must be the first step on the road to turning around
this appauling situation. There needs to be tough targets set to
increase recycling, the delivery of doorstep recycling for every
household, an end to polluting incinerators and action to reduce
the overall amounts of waste we produce. Tackling waste in a
sustainable manner would protect the environment, save valuable
resources and lead to the creation of thousands of jobs in
recycling."
This media briefing outlines the current state of play in Scotland
with regards to waste and the action that Friends of the Earth
wants to see in today's strategy.
ACTION ON RECYCLING
The issues:
¥ Around 80% of household waste can be either recycled or
composted.
¥ Scotland only recycles 8% of its household waste, with some
local authorities recycling as little as 1%. Some of our
European neighbours - such as Austria (64%) and Belgium (52%) -
have a far more impressive record on recycling.
¥ Eight out of ten people in Scotland would participate in
doorstep recycling.
¥ For every job dumping waste in a landfill, ten jobs could be
created by recycling.
Action required:
¥ Set a statutory recycling target of 40% recycling by 2010 and
60% by 2020.
¥ Provide a doorstep recycling (and composting) service for every
household by 2010.
WASTE REDUCTION
The issues:
¥ The average household produces around a tonne of waste each
year. Worryingly, Scottish household waste is rising by up to 2%
per annum.
¥ By 2020 the amount of UK household waste is set to double.
¥ The UK uses 500 million plastic bags a week. In Ireland a
charge on plastic bags resulted in a 90% reduction in their use.
Action required:
¥ Set a waste minimisation target and begin developing a 'zero
waste' strategy for Scotland.
¥ Introduce a plastic bag charge.
INCINERATION IS NOT RECYCLING
The issues:
¥ Incineration causes air pollution, toxic by-products and wastes
finite resources.
¥ Incineration is deeply unpopular. Community
groups across the country (e.g. Aberdeen and Highlands) are
opposing incineration proposals because of concerns about the risk
to health and the environmental impact.
¥ Once built, incinerators constantly need supplies of waste to
make them economically viable, thus discouraging attempts to
increase recycling or to minimise waste.
Action required:
¥ No permission for new mass-burn
incinerators (or those designed to burn mixed waste) and a
moratorium on all outstanding incinerator proposals (e.g. Aberdeen
where a contract was signed before the completion of the local
area waste plan);
¥ instead, favour the building of small-scale recycling plants to
take recyclables out of residual waste and treat the rest.
¥ Press the UK government to extend the landfill tax to cover
incineration.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT
The issues:
¥ Almost all waste (e.g. aluminium, newsprint and plastics)
collected in Scotland for recycling has to transported to England
or exported outwith the UK to be recycled.
¥Scotland currently exports 100,000 tonnes of material for
recycling (twice the amount it imports to recycle).
¥ Of the 240,000 tonnes of newsprint generated in Scotland only
65,000 tonnes was recycled (mainly at facilities outwith
Scotland).
Action required:
¥ The Executive must commit money to developing Scottish-based
recycling and composting facilities and the other necessary
infrastructure, including sufficient financial support to local
authorities to deliver recycling programmes.
¥ The Enterprise Network and Local Enterprise Companies should
have a statutory duty to maximise jobs in recycling and stimulate
markets for recycled products.
¥ Make it a duty of local authorities and other public bodies to
set targets for the purchase and procurement of recycled products.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOR COMMUNITIES
The issues:
¥ In addition to foul smells, communities living near landfill
sites often report having their homes plagued by flies every
summer.
¥ Studies have found that babies born within 2km of a landfill
site are more likely to have birth defects than babies born
elsewhere.
¥ Dumping waste in Scotland is so cheap that waste is currently
being shipped by ferry from Northern Ireland and dumped in
Scotland.
Action required:
¥ Develop a 'zero waste' strategy to end the need to construct
landfills and incinerators
¥ Ensure the 'proximity principle' is embraced within the waste
plan and provide support for more community-led recycling
initiatives.
OTHER WASTES
The National Plan focusses on household waste. Three times more
waste (9 million tonnes) comes from other sources (e.g. industry
and commercial). A robust strategy is needed to tackle this waste
stream too.
More info: Lang Banks on 0131 554 9977 or (pager) 07654 200937
==
Latest
===
public hearing
=======
A responce was sent by us to SEPA.
SEPA consulted on the PPC including a web page at SEPA/altens
which contained a lot of helpfull detail.
Their Contact us
The 'questions and answers' document sets out the issues
that are relevant to SEPA. If you want to comment on this
application please write to Greyhope Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9RD, or
email <?color><?param 0000,5A59,6261>aberdeenregistry@sepa.org.uk<?/color>
(This email address can only be used for requests for public
register information and to make comments about this application -
please do not use this address for any other queries).
The closing date for comments is 5pm on Wednesday 8 October.
<?/fontfamily>
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