Monday 5 December 2011

Cardiff Against The Incinerator will stand candidates for Cardiff Council May 2012.

Cardiff Against The Incinerator will stand candidates in the upcoming local elections in Cardiff, which take place in May 2012.

The group, which has been organising local and cross-Wales opposition to the incinerator planned for Trident Park, Splott, Cardiff for over a year, will target Cardiff Council leader Rodney Berman and Finance and Service Delivery cabinet member Mark Stephens, both of whom represent Plasnewydd, Roath in the Council. Berman and Stephens, along with other leading members of Cardiff Council, have been driving forces behind Cardiff's incinerator project since 2005.

Since August, Cardiff Against The Incinerator have been circulating a pledge to all political parties calling on them to:
1. Oppose the construction and operation of waste incinerators in south Wales, including the proposal for an incinerator at Trident Park, Cardiff.
2. Advocate policies for cleaner, safer and environmentally-sustainable waste solutions that comply with the principles outlined in Planning Policy Wales.
3. Demand the inclusion of representatives from local communities in planning decisions affecting those communities, and for a public consultation process that is more inclusive of ordinary residents of those communities, with support for legislation as necessary to make this happen.
4. Support full democratic and public control over all waste and energy projects in receipt of public money, in place of failed and wasteful approaches based on the Private Finance Initiative and similar schemes. 
5. Promote the role of democratic and accountable local government in creating environmentally friendly 'green' jobs'.

Cardiff Against the Incinerator secretary Edmund Schluessel commented on the decision to stand, which was taken after a two-hour open debate by campaign members. "In Merthyr Tydfil and Newport, public opposition to incinerators was galvanised by entire groups in the local councils pledging to support community campaigns. In Cardiff, despite our entreaties, this hasn't happened. We're open to discussions with any party or any independent who wants our endorsement. Here in Roath, just a mile from the planned incinerator, for now it's ordinary people versus the leader of the Council."

The campaign is also examining the possibility of standing candidates in other wards of the city, and intends to coordinate hustings events to make candidates take a clear position on the incinerator.

"Politicians always try to play both sides", noted Schluessel. "The incinerator, if operated the way Cardiff Council want, will be polluting central and south Cardiff for a quarter-century to come. People deserve to know what they're getting before they vote. Viridor Waste Management say they plan to begin construction in four months -- it's time for elected leaders to lead or get out of the way."

You are welcome to join CATI every
 Monday Night at 7pm in the Old Illts Sport & Social Club, Splott Bridge, Splott

Contact Cardiff Against the Incinerator
telephone: 07947 214169 or 07817 513610
twitter:@nocardiffburner 

Monday 14 November 2011

Incinerator plan a load of rubbish

Morning Star Online
In a confidential interim report, investigator Steffan Evans told theCardiff Against the Incinerator (Cati) group that the Viridor plan is of "considerable importance with potentially significant environmental implications for the immediate and wider ...

Exclusive: Incinerator plan a load of rubbish

Monday 14 November 2011
Cardiff County Council's failure to notify and consult residents and businesses over a proposed waste incinerator in Splott amounts to "maladministration," the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has concluded.
In a confidential interim report, investigator Steffan Evans told the Cardiff Against the Incinerator (Cati) group that the Viridor plan is of "considerable importance with potentially significant environmental implications for the immediate and wider locality."
Because Cardiff council had not tried to inform the residents in the Galleon Way apartment blocks and nearby businesses, Mr Evans concluded that "the consultation was inadequate and amounted to maladministration on the part of the Council."
He is now asking the council to "revisit its consultation procedure relating to planning applications of this kind so as to avoid a recurrence of the issues arising this case."
But the Ombudsman admitted that even if local people had been fully and properly consulted, it would not have added to the 21 different types of objection already lodged against the Viridor scheme.
"It's an astonishing conclusion," remarked Cati secretary Ed Schussel, "as though 21 different grounds for objection are not enough, while the sheer size of public objection counts for nothing."
He added: "This dismissal of local opinion flies directly in the face of the Localism Bill going through the Westminster parliament and the central government's decision last week to halt a similar Norfolk County Council scheme because of local opposition."
Mr Schussel urged Welsh Environment Minister John Griffiths not to "lag behind" developments in England.
"It is becoming clear that incineration is an unhealthy, costly and inefficient waste disposal option which undermines recycling," he said.
The Welsh government is offering an annual £9 million subsidy to the Prosiect Gwyrdd (Project Green) consortium of five local authorities which will choose next year which of the two schemes to support.
Two weeks ago, the project suffered a blow when a third bidder, Covanta, withdrew its planning application for a giant incinerator at Brig-y-Cwm near Merthyr Tydfil, citing "commercial circumstances" relating to Welsh local authorities.
Campaigners from Cardiff and Newport are protesting at the National Assembly of Wales tomorrow at 12 noon against the incineration schemes earmarked for their cities.

Sham Gwyrdd / Incinerator PFI

Sham Gwyrdd / Incinerator PFI
The five Councils in the Prosiect Gwyrdd consortium in S-E Wales propose to lock council-tax payers into a high cost 25-year PFI-type contract for a waste incinerator, while neighbouring councils in England have recently achieved a cheaper 9-year contract for MBT.
● There are now 2 companies left out of 4 on the shortlist - each proposing a large incinerator to burn ‘residual’ municipal waste
● Viridor’s giant incinerator in Splott (350 000 tpa) is ahead in planning terms
● Veolia's 260 000 tpa incinerator at Bowlease Common, Llanwern/Newport is still going through planning procedures 
● The ‘Project’ set a £3million penalty for any partner-Council that withdraws, to tie in Cardiff, Newport, Monmouthshire, Caerphilly and the Vale of Glam.
● The decision is due next autumn after the Council elections; Labour and several Tories in Newport have come out against the Project, also the Independents in Caerphilly.
While P Gwyrdd talk (prosiectgwyrdd.co.uk) of “waste infrastructure build”, they always meant an INCINERATOR
Each Council’s priority is to recycle and compost as much waste as possible ….FALSE …. SPIN
They assert falsely
“manage the remaining waste …
after recycling and composting
has been maximised” In fact
The Councils are going slow, putting off the 70% level of recycling and composting for years, till 2025, though some regions (eg. Belgium), some municipalities (eg. Los Angeles; Italian towns) and leading Councils in England are already around 70%.
Welsh councils commissioned consultants who told them they could reach 80-90% and it would cost less. Why did the P. Gwyrdd Councils ignore them? Because they are set on providing waste for a mega-incinerator, funded by Welsh government with £9 milllion pa special subsidy, and £27 million pa from our rates.
Note: North Wales Waste Partnership is similar to Prosiect Gwyrdd
Bristol has taken another way – Avonmouth MBT plant – far cheaper and 9 years contract, not PG’s 25 years 
MBT is mechanical and biological processing to sort the maximum reclaimable material from black bag waste and then bio-stabilise residues to produce ‘soil’ for land reclamation, or RDF-fuel. The new Avonmouth scheme costs £25 million and was built in18 months, not the £200 million of PG’s Viridor incinerator that takes years to plan and build (now 2014-5). With MBT, extra modules can be added and processes changed as better treatments become available, while incinerators lumber us with old technology and probable over-capacity, like Viridor in Splott. Questions for AMs to ask Q1. Will AMs press the Environment Minister to consider objectively the merits of the new MBT plant at Avonmouth serving the Bristol area, and the advantages of its low capital cost, flexible modular form, shorter (9 yr) contract and speedy commissioning, in avoiding the high PFI-like commitment and lengthy procurement of a single incinerator?
Q2. Will AMs call on the WG to look again at evidence that incineration has larger greenhouse gas footprint than other waste solutions, except old-style landfill - submitted by FOE Cymru and established by Eunomia Consulting?
Q3. Will AMs call on the Environment Minister to assess the impact of its incineration policy on the Welsh carbon footprint, given the EU requirement that local authorities count incinerator CO2 from waste in their totals ?
Q4. Will AMs press the Environment Minister to exclude incinerators that waste much of the heat, the major energy output from an incinerator? Will they press him to favour plants sited to supply heat required by existing or planned rather than speculative industry, and to introduce requirements for Heat Plans to reach minimum levels by given dates as in Scotland ?
Q5. Government in England requires Councils to genuinely consult the community and demonstrate public support before they approve funds for waste incinerators; what are AMs doing to secure similar criteria in Wales before promises via WPPO of funding for incinerator projects?
Q6.The Welsh Government refuses support for MBT as it’s a partial solution, requiring outlets for the stabilised waste or refuse-derived fuel, yet grants support for incinerators without requiring outlets for the waste ash (25-30% of input waste) and ignoring the Proximity Principle (TAN 21). Will AMs challenge this irrational and unjustified block on MBT?
Q7. PG shortlisted four companies for incinerators, intending to select two to work up final bids; two of the four have now withdrawn. Will AMs press PG to exercise their right to invite at least 2 further bidders to join the contract shortlist, if only to secure competitiveness and best value? Or better, to restart the procurement with preference for a 10-year contract for high-efficiency, low-CO2-emitting facilit(ies)?
Q8. PG’s shortlist excluded all options apart from a 25-year contract for incinerators (4 shortlisted, two remain). Will AMs press the WG to suspend funding for PG pending a proper democratic choice between incineration and alternatives?
Q9. Are our politicians aware of the work of Professor C.V. Howard, a distinguished British toxicologist at Ulster University and expert in this field, who reviewed all the evidence and concluded in 2009 that waste incinerator plants like the ones proposed by PG “should not be approved in the light of the likely risks to public health and the environment”?
Q10. Cardiff Council and EA Wales refused to take into account expert evidence presented to a recent public Inquiry by Prof. Howard on serious health risks from incinerators, especially the health of our children, which was material in getting the Incinerator rejected. Will AMs require that authorities in Wales consider the full range of current evidence on health risks, not just the biased assessments from the quasi-government HPA?
Q11. To safeguard our waste reduction and recycling, will AMs press the WG to outlaw Councils contracting to supply a guaranteed minimum amount of waste per year to an incinerator?
Q12. To ensure policy flexibility and value for money, will AMs press the government to exclude contracts over 10 years, apart from optional 5-year extensions, cutting out PFI-type 25-yr contracts?
Q13. WAG officials repeatedly over-estimated municipal waste tonnages. Will AMs insist that WG officers make a new and realistic assessment of future residual waste taking account of the latest waste reduction and recycling information for England and Wales?
Q14. Statistics for UK and the EC show a clear and negative correlation between recycling and increased use of incineration, i.e. the more incinerators are built, the lower the % of waste is recycled. With PG Councils hanging back on recycling, how will the WG enforce preference for recycling?
Q15. Given the changes in ROC subsidy to renewable power announced last month on top of the increased costs of finance post-credit crunch, will you press the WG to require a full review of PG's outline business case?
Q.16 Six private-public partnership incinerator projects similar to PG were cancelled in England last year. Should the Wales Audit Office review P Gwyrdd under current finance costs and the tougher criteria set in 2010 ?
Q17. Given the precarious state of PG, do you agree the Councils should prepare fall-back plans, collective or individual, founded on local public, commercial and non-profit businesses, in case the mega-project collapses?
Q18. Will our politicians acknowledge that many Councillors as well as the public and interest groups have experienced lack of transparency about project Gwyrdd – minutes are not published, meetings are held in camera, the 'great gods' of commercial confidentiality and EU Competition directives rule above fine words on public involvement and openness?
Democratic Deficit in Welsh Waste Projects
In England, waste projects are required to genuinely consult the community and demonstrate public support. They also have to conform to the overall Waste Plan. The UK Environment Minister recently invoked the public support criterion against several PFI projects previously given the nod.

The Petitions Committee agreed with a Petition in 2009, that consultation on the Regional Waste Plans had been inadequate; now the Petitions Committee has two petitions before it against the imposition of incineration, from Cardiff Against the Incinerator and the United Valleys Action Group.

P Gwyrdd claims to consult, but they have proved to be a propaganda unit promoting incineration. Public involvement in their road-shows and pseudo-consultations have been minimal (<www.prosiectgqyrdd.com>).

How can the Assembly force the Welsh Government to follow principles on engaging and consulting the public, and force their procurement arm (WPPO) to adopt requirements similar to England's?

Cornwall Incinerator fails on Judicial Review
The High Court success in October of community groups against the 25-yr incinerator contract has left Cornwall County Council with wasted investment, legal costs, and no alternative plan. Such a risk should surely rate in Wales too, and warn the Welsh Gov’t against driving through incineration plans.
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Contact the Cardiff campaign cardiffagainsttheincinerator.blogspot.com/
United Valleys Action Group http://www.no-monster-incinerator.co.uk/
SNIC Newport campaign pippa@pippa-bartolotti.co.uk; rghepworth@gmail.com
South Wales WIN (Without Incineration network) www.southwaleswin.com



Monday 29 August 2011

Join us in Splott at Dedication Ceremony Sept 5 1.30

Cardiff Against the incinerator invites all residents to a DEDICATION CEREMONY in Splott -
don't miss the action...Mon Sept 5th at 1.30, Glass Ave, Splott Industrial Estate, the site of Viridor's and Cardiff councils planned toxic waste incinerator 
All welcome Bring children - Respirator masks provided
CONTACT Cardiff Against The Incinerator 
07947214169 cardiffagainsttheincinerator@gmail.com
Tweet this and Follow us on Twitter nocardiffburner and Facebook

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Viridor leaves Splott people in the dark


Waste firm determined controversial new incinerator will go ahead




Edmund Schluessel, from the campaign group Cardiff Against the Incinerator, said that it was not surprising that the group should find out about the plans for the Splott plant through the press contacting them.
He said: “It’s further evidence of Viridor’s knowledge that this incinerator project is not needed, even the business case for it is being made obsolete due to rising recycling rates in South Wales by the emergence of better techniques.”
Mr Schluessel added: “We are continuing to work on every level to stop the incinerator in Cardiff and throughout South Wales.
“We are confident that through productive engagement in the up and coming council elections we will be able to do what is necessary to not only stop the incinerator but to ensure that there will not be another put forward.”

Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/08/17/waste-firm-determined-controversial-new-incinerator-will-go-ahead-91466-29248435/#ixzz1VHHffKjk








Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/08/17/waste-firm-determined-controversial-new-incinerator-will-go-ahead-91466-29248435/#ixzz1VHHWRyfn

So much for a green capital

So much for a green capital!
South Wales Echo August 5, 2011
NICE one Rodney! What a great idea considering nominating the city of Cardiff for the European Green Capital Award (Echo, July 24), but wait a minute.It was Rodney's merry band of planners who nodded through the planning consent for the proposed Viridor Incinerator, to be sited dangerously near Cardiff Bay and Splott.


The incinerator will burn 350,000 tons of residual waste, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days each year for the next 25 to 30 years. The plan is to burn the waste from Cardiff and district and to truck in waste from the Vale of Glamorgan, Caerphilly and district, Newport City and from Monmouth and district. This will threaten the health of all the residents and children throughout the city of Cardiff. Oh, and by the way, if Viridor does not get enough waste from us to keep its incinerator working full blast, it will apply to Rodney's merry band of planners, who will duly oblige, and amend the planning restrictions.


Then we could have residual waste from Bristol and Swansea, or residual waste from anywhere rolling or floating into the city, then pop it into the proposed incinerator and zoom it up the chimney and the nano-particulates fly right into our lungs. That's not a very green one, thanks a lot Rodney!The proposed incinerator will give rise to emissions to air, via the chimney/flue stacks, emissions will comprise many gases, healththreatening tiny particles of many dangerous compounds, there would be no limit to the carbon dioxide released. Rodney, this is really bad news for our green city credentials.

I doubt whether Rodney's merry band of planners, bothered to inform the company behind the Cardiff Bay Skyflyer, that when its passengers fly up to the clear blue sky above Cardiff Bay, and the wind is in their direction, they will have to put on their respirators, as they pass through the concentrated direct emission flume, from the proposed incinerator stacks. Not good for bay visitors especially children, Rodney.

Watch out for Prosiect Gwyrdd, the body set up to decide where the South Wales incinerator will be sited, they would love to put it close to Cardiff Bay and Splott, with the help of guess who? Our Rodney.
On second thoughts, Rodney, it might be better to forget this Green Capital thing.
You might get caught up in Trades Description Act.
¦ DAVID PROSSER Rumney, Cardiff

Tuesday 19 April 2011

BANISH THE 'BEST-BEFORE' DATE ??

South Wales WIN :Press release 


WalesOnline WalesOnline  

Best before date could be scrapped in Wales, as 410,000 tonnes of food are thrown away every year: http://bit.ly/gXXa9D


BANISH THE 'BEST-BEFORE' DATE ??
The call to banish the 'best before' date is misplaced, say South Wales WIN. People need proper information on what it means – that the food can and should still be consumed – but the main message on waste food should be to use the food-waste caddies and collection systems.

Such systems are being introduced by Councils throughout Wales, allowing the waste to be processed by anaerobic digestors or composting technology.

Waste Awareness Wales fails to encourage people to use the food waste collection systems because, we believe. they are working to WAG's pro-incineration agenda.

They wrongly say [1] most food-waste will be thrown in a landfill site, as modern regulations require pre-treatment of waste. Some methane gas results, but regulations require its capture. Official figures show methane emissions are now a relatively small problem [2].

Waste Awareness Wales is supporting alternative incineration of residual household waste. Yet food waste is wet and results in little energy, unlike anaerobic digestion that produces gas which is best cleaned and fed into the gas mains. WAG's waste policy ignores this best option, despite it being advocated by the National Grid.

Waste Awareness Wales is a propaganda outfit, funded entirely by WAG to support their policy to defer high recycling/composting till the 2020s with a limit of 70%, and subsidise incineration of up to 35% of the domestic waste stream. Their exaggeration of landfill methane serves this agenda and should be challenged.

------------------------
NOTE
[1] western mail 19 april 2011, Banish the 'best-before' date

[2] Wales's total landfill methane counted as CO2-equivalent is 34 000t/yr, compared with CO2 emissions from Wales Waste sector total CO2e of 13 000 000 t/yr (2007 figs.**). Covanta's proposed incinerator of 750 000t waste/yr would on its own emit CO2 at 800-900 000t/yr.

** Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990 - 2007 AEAT/ENV/R/2873 Issue 1 report Sept.2009to DECC, WAG etc.