Plea for tougher incineration rules

Plea for tougher incineration rules

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ENVIRONMENTAL group Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling for a tougher line on waste incineration in Wales. Read

Jan 17 2009 by Lisa Jones, South Wales Echo

ENVIRONMENTAL group Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling for a tougher line on waste incineration in Wales.

Campaigners have called on Environment Minister Jane Davidson to take a tougher line on the burning of waste as she drafts a new waste policy for Wales. Waste incineration is one of the many ways of disposing of waste being considered by South Wales local authorities, as they move away from using landfill sites.

Haf Elgar, campaigner for Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: “Incineration produces dangerous hazardous waste, not green energy as is often claimed.

“There are also new developments which suggest that incineration is environmentally worse than landfill.

“The UK Committee on Climate Change has said that anaerobic digestion and mechanical and biological treatment have ‘the least overall greenhouse gas emissions or greatest greenhouse gas savings’.

“But incineration has, in a recent study, been assessed as the highest greenhouse gas emitting waste disposal option. We welcome the Assembly Government’s announcement for more funding for anaerobic digestion, and the increase in local authorities collecting food waste for anaerobic digestion in Wales.”

AM objects to Cardiff waste disposal plans

PlAID Cymru AM Leanne Wood has voiced her opposition to plans to build a waste incinerator in Cardiff. Read

Jan 15 2009 by Lisa Jones, South Wales Echo

PlAID Cymru AM Leanne Wood has voiced her opposition to plans to build a waste incinerator in Cardiff.

The facility, which would be built in Ocean Way, Tremorfa, if approved, is one solution to South Wales’ landfill shortage currently being examined by five councils and dubbed Prosiect Gwyrdd.

The Viridor Waste Managment plant would burn 350,000 tonnes of waste a year.

Ms Wood, who represents Cardiff and is Plaid’s sustainability spokeswoman, raised the issue during Finance Questions to Minister Andrew Davies in the Senedd.

She said: “The plant will require vast amounts of waste on an ongoing basis to make it viable. The risk is that this will reduce incentives for recycling. We should all be recycling more, not less.

“There are fears the incinerator will produce harmful emissions, and the level of energy produced will be inefficient.”

Finance minister Andrew Davies said environment minister Jane Davidson would update the Plaid AM on plans for the incinerator.