On the 13th April 1999 the Environment Agency wrote with regard to the persistent hydrogen chloride breaches and asked why the plant's authorisation should not be amended to exclude PVC (which London Waste had identified as the cause of many HCl breaches). The reply was not on the public register when Greenpeace viewed it.
In December 2000 London Waste Ltd. commissioned REC Ltd. to monitor some of the pollutants emitted from its stack. They found that emissions of oxides of nitrogen from the chimney were above the authorised limit for 25 of the 26 hours monitored.
Five Greenpeace volunteers face a committal hearing at Enfield Magistrates Court on Tuesday 30th January in connection with the occupation of Edmonton waste incinerator in October 2000. All five volunteers are charged with criminal damage, conspiracy to commit criminal damage and aggravated trespass. The hearing will decide if the Greenpeace volunteers should face trial by jury in a Crown Court.
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.
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.
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.
