toxics

Kodaikanal, India, March 7 2001, Greenpeace today accused Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever, owners of Lipton Tea and Dove soap, of double standards and shameful negligence for allowing its Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Lever, to dump several tonnes of highly toxic mercury waste in the densely populated tourist resort of Kodaikanal and the surrounding protected nature reserve of Pambar Shola, in Tamilnadu, Southern India.

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.

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.

Greenpeace action against the world's tallest toxic waste incinerator

Four Greenpeace campaigners face a further ten days in a Tokyo jail after being arrested on Tuesday 9th May for hanging a banner from an incinerator.