IT WAS saddening but no surprise to read of the Department of Health’s ostrich-like pronouncement that incinerators won’t cause any ‘detectable’ damage to the health of nearby residents (p17, SNJ, September 20).

The statement by Public Health England that it is not aware of any evidence that requires a change in its position is spectacularly disingenuous – to say the very least.

There is an abundance of evidence of increased incidences of infant mortality and leukaemia around and especially downwind of incinerators, not to mention heightened asthma rates, from locations in the UK and across Europe.

These are credible, properly collated pieces of research, easily accessible to all, yet so far they have gone unacknowledged by both PHE and the Environment Agency.

It appears to be a case of ‘we were aware of something like that but we didn’t like it so we’ve ignored it’.

As with drugs, technologies really should be properly researched and proved safe before being unleashed on the public, especially when processing highly dangerous substances.

There are problem areas around many existing incinerators (and the one being constructed at Javelin Park is certainly no longer cutting edge science), so making such reassuring noises about incinerators posing little threat to the public is at best foolhardy...

Fast forward say ten years, and the powers that be have finally acknowledged that incinerators have caused a great many preventable deaths and much ill-health.

They’ll doubtless say lessons will be learned in order that this won’t be repeated even further into the future.

How about being wise now, and opting for technology that really doesn’t pose a risk?

Lastly we have Councillor Theodoulou repeating his £100 million savings claim, in spite of all the contrary evidence.

Paul Halas

Stroud