Incinerator Protest Gathers Momentum (Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Incinerator Protest Gathers Momentum

February 8, 2010 4:00 PM

Map of Hertfordshire pictured as pall of smoke from two chimneys

Herts Without Waste

Nigel Quinton, the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Hitchin & Harpenden, was delighted to be asked by Hatfield Against Incineration to hand their latest petition to the Waste Management Cabinet Panel at their meeting today. Although the council's proposal is for a site in South Hatfield, there is a commercial proposal by Biffa to be sited in Ware, and the choice of incineration over cleaner, greener modern alternatives is a matter for the whole county, not least on financial concerns.

The petition called on Members of the Panel "to reject ANY plan to mass-burn commercial or domestic waste". In his three minute address to the panel Mr Quinton had this to say:

"I would like members to note that Mass Burn Incineration is yesterday's technology, as many councils are beginning to realise. The LGA has recently published their Waste Management Strategy in which Boris Johnson says: 'The Mayor believes any further increase in mass burn incineration capacity will crowd out recycling and provide little incentive for the development of whatever cleaner technologies are emerging, including anaerobic digestion, gasification and pyrolysis.'

"I would ask members to look again at their rejection of these new technologies, especially Anaerobic Digestion and Mechanical Biological Treatment which can significantly reduce the amount of untreatable waste. This residual waste should be processed using high temperature gasification, a much cleaner and greener alternative to incineration. Lastly I would stress that they should not believe that incineration is a "green" solution to waste management - ask any environmental organisation."

Despite not being printed until last Friday, the petition had attracted almost 500 signatures, confirmation, if it were needed, of the gathering knowledge of, and opposition to incineration in Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats