11 Greenpeace volunteers ended their occupation of Sheffield incinerator after protecting the people of the city from polluting gases for 3 days
Offer to pay for Sheffield waste plan rebuffed by Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats were dragged into a national row over incineration today because of Sheffield City Council's determination to build a new waste burner. The national Lib Dems have been branded as hypocrites and electoral opportunists by both Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace after the party tried to face in both directions on the controversial issue of burning rubbish. The national Lib Dems claim to be in favour of a moratorium on the building of new incinerators but in fact the Lib Dem controlled Sheffield City Council is trying to construct a massive waste burner against fierce local opposition.
To make matters worse, the Lib Dems have frequently crowed over their victory at the Guildford by-election which was largely won on the basis of the Lib Dem candidate's opposition to a proposed incineration scheme. Malcolm Bruce, the Lib Dem environment spokesman, has previously said that: "If the Government need any proof of the potency of incineration as a political issue, it is provided by my hon. Friend the member for Guildford (Sue Doughty). Guildford has a Liberal Democrat Member mainly because of the strength of feeling against the incinerator that is being proposed for the area." [Malcolm Bruce, MP, House of Commons, 11/12/01]
Stephen Tindale, Executive Director of Greenpeace, said:
"The Liberal Democrats don't seem to have any principles when it comes to waste management and will say anything they think gains them electoral advantage. Their call for a moratorium on incineration is a hollow sham. It's simply unacceptable for the Lib Dems to lecture other political parties on the environment and then fail to apply those principles in places which they actually control."
Charles Secrett, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, said:
"The choice between incinerators or recycling in Sheffield is a litmus test of the Lib Dems' environmental and community commitments. It is the height of hypocrisy to have pro-recycling and anti-incineration policies, but then do the opposite in councils which they actually control."
Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace wrote to Charles Kennedy, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, asking that his party resolve its confusion over environmental policy but with no effect. Kennedy refused to ask Sheffield Lib Dems to fall into line with national policy and remains unapologetic. FOE and Greenpeace have also offered to pay for national waste experts to develop an alternative waste strategy for Sheffield which would avoid incineration without increasing the cost to ratepayers. This offer has also been in effect rebuffed.
Notes for editors:
1. The current Lib Dem national policy on incineration is to implement a moratorium on the building of new waste incinerators. For instance, Malcolm Bruce MP, the Lib Dem environment spokesman, has said that:
"Four simple steps would go a long way to bringing waste removal into harmony with the environment. A National Recycling Programme must be sustained, while tougher action is needed on reducing the actual amount of waste produced. If landfill tax was reformed and a moratorium called on all new incinerators, Britain would be well on the way to joining the ranks of green European nations." [Lib Dem press release 21/11/01].
"In reality, the danger is that even accommodating incineration will destroy the beginnings of a real waste reduction strategy. A moratorium on new incinerators would be thus constructive for that reason" [Malcolm Bruce, MP, House of Commons, 11/12/01]
2. Sheffield City Council has been controlled by the Lib Dems for some years. The council has recently signed a contract with the French multi-national Onyx to build a new incinerator in the heart of Sheffield which will burn at least two thirds of the city's rubbish. The proposals are being opposed by a broad alliance of local people.
3. Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace wrote to Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy offering to pay for a new study of Sheffield's waste problems by Britain's leading waste management experts. The intention was that a new strategy would be drawn up that would meet all of Sheffield's legal requirements while avoiding incineration and not increasing the overall cost to rate payers. The one condition made by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace for this work to go ahead was that the Council did not proceed any further with the incinerator project until the study was completed.
The Lib Dems have rebuffed this offer and suggested that Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace contribute to a 'consultation' exercise being undertaken by the council. The following points are salient:
- the consultation exercise was launched AFTER the contract was signed for a new incinerator and has no bearing on whether Sheffield burns its rubbish or not
- several key officers of the council have not even attended the consultation exercise
- Greenpeace have already attempted to contribute to the exercise but given up because it is clear that it is not being take seriously by the council and will generate no useful output.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255
