incineration

Greenpeace today (01.00am) ended the occupation of the 100 metre chimney at Edmonton incinerator after supplies of food and water ran out. The volunteers had successfully occupied the chimney for four days in the face of appalling weather conditions.

As a result of the Greenpeace occupation:

Government figures from the Department of Health show that current emissions from Edmonton incinerator are expected to result in fifteen deaths every year. The figure will increase to twenty-two if the proposed expansion of Edmonton incinerator goes ahead.

Cllr Rupert Perry (Chair of North London Waste Authority, the co-owners of Edmonton) said on BBC Newsroom South East that the Edmonton incinerator is "very clean" but this view has already been contradicted by Environment Minister Michael Meacher who has said that there is 'no safe threshold' for incinerator emissions.

The proposed expansion of Edmonton incinerator (currently being considered for approval by Stephen Byers, Secretary of State at the Department of Trade and Industry) could result in an extra seven deaths per year according to Government figures released by Greenpeace today]. The expansion would also cause 80,000 extra journeys by rubbish trucks and cause an increase in polluting emissions equivalent to 250,000 car journeys per day.

Greenpeace today condemned the Evening Standard for inaccurate journalism after a front page story about Greenpeace 'creating a waste peril' was shown to be untrue.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, has joined the calls to stop the expansion of Edmonton Incinerator. Speaking at the 'Meet the Mayor Event at the IMAX Cinema near Waterloo, he said that there should be no expansion of incineration capacity in London and that the city should achieve 40% recycling rates so that incineration was unnecessary.

Greenpeace rejected claims by London Waste Ltd that the action at Edmonton incinerator resulted in pile ups of domestic and clinical waste.

Edmonton incinerator stopped burning rubbish and Greenpeace volunteers occupied the chimney. Volunteers capped one of the two flue outlets. The capping is intended to prevent the incinerator from restarting operations now that the furnace has been closed and involves sealing the flue with planks slotted into a metal frame. Other Greenpeace volunteers occupied the mechanical grabs inside the plant in order to prevent rubbish being loaded into the furnace.

Greenpeace today revealed Government contracts for a massive network of waste incinerators to burn Britain's household rubbish (1). Taxpayers money is to be used to subsidise a four-fold increase in municipal waste incinerators across the country, despite evidence that burning rubbish produces a toxic cocktail of chemicals can cause cancer, asthma attacks and birth defects.

Greenpeace ( 9/10/00) invaded Edmonton waste incinerator in North London - Britain's biggest rubbish incinerator plant. Sixty-five Greenpeace volunteers, including core teams of skilled climbers, occupied key areas of the plant in a bid to stop it burning household waste. The volunteers intended to close the incinerator completely to prevent it emitting a cocktail of chemicals that can cause cancers and asthma attacks.