Dear Editor Incinerator Puzzle
As the Lib-Dems centrally oppose incineration, I was puzzled why Cardiff's Lib-Dems are driving towards an incinerator in Cardiff Bay. But the record of their chief officer explains a lot.I see Phil Sherratt was with Greater Manchester Waste where he started kerbside collections, but costly wheelie bins too. He also promoted the Bolton incinerator with 128,000 tonnes design capacity for 80,000 tonnes of local arisings, which has never operated to the design capacity. Moving to Mercia Waste Management he headed up their team which argued the Kidderminster incinerator was essential. The incinerator Inquiry was humiliating (for MMW) when the Inspector refused their appeal in spite of MWM having a PPC permit and a long term contract - and left MWM with no 'plan B'.
So his record in Cardiff is not so different - slow and poor on recycling, proposed to make refuse-drived fuel for cement kilns, filled up Lamby Way tip with commercial refuse and delayed planning for a replacement, then left Councillors with the one option - ie. Viridor's incinerator at 400 000 tonnes capacity, far above the non-recyclable waste total of under 100 000 tonnes per year.
Max WallisSE Wales FOE group on waste
