US waste expert flys in to back anti-incinerator groups (From Stroud News and Journal)

US waste expert flys in to back anti-incinerator groups

3:15pm Friday 5th February 2010

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ENVIRONMENTALISTS, councillors and residents cheered and clapped their way through a fascinating speech about the hazards of incinerating waste at King’s Stanley Village Hall last night, Thursday, February 4.

Organised jointly by a host of environmental groups, the enthralling, and often amusing presentation was delivered by internationally acclaimed waste management expert Dr Paul Connett, who arrived fresh from a tour of similar talks in Italy and Spain.

District and county councillors including Dennis Andrewartha of the Lib Dems, the green party’s Philip Booth and John Marjoram, and David Drew and Neil Carmichael attended the event alongside more than 100 residents, all of whom share concerns about the prospect of a large residual waste incinerator being built in the county by 2012.

Opening his hour-long dialogue, British-born scientist Dr Connett, who is professor of chemistry at St Lawrence University in New York, offered the stark warning that we would need an additional four planets of space to handle the waste generated in America alone.

"We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to," he said.

"Waste is evidence that we are doing something wrong."

He then outlined the damaging system of extraction, production, consumption and waste that has created the world’s spiraling problems, and argued that incineration does nothing to break the trend.

He also described the technology as wholly uneconomical – citing one Italian plant that cost 300 million euros to build with the creation of just 80 jobs.

Dr Connett became more animated as he delved into the damaging health implications of incineration – describing how four tons of waste emits one ton of toxic air emissions.

These, he warned, remain airbourne for lengthy periods and often slip through air pollution control equipment.

Having summed up the dangers to start, the second half of his talk explored the solutions as he outlined his ‘10 simple steps’ to zero waste.

Chief among these is the need to compost and reuse as much as possible.

He also called on industries to radically reduce packaging, as he put it: "If it can not be recycled, reused or composted, industry should not be making it in the 21st Century."

Each point he made was backed up with real-world examples, such as San Francisco’s aim to achieve zero waste status by 2012, and how the Spanish town of Usurbil managed to radically reduce its residual waste levels in just seven months by recycling, reusing and composting.

Summing up, he urged residents to continue fighting plans for an incinerator and asked those politicians present to put their faith back in the people of Gloucestershire.

"I have met people like you all over the world," he said.

"A threatened community is a strengthened one if you all work together, so talk to your friends and neighbours and make sure this county does not make a grave mistake."

Gloucestershire County Council is currently inviting four firms to draw up plans for a residual waste plant – incorporating a range of technologies including incineration.

Bidders are being asked to submit detailed proposals by spring 2010 with the final contract due to be awarded by the same time in 2011.

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