BBAC Newsletter - August 99
(Sent out to all those who signed the petition against the incinerator)
Worried about GM Foods?
Mad Cow Disease?
Did you stop eating beef?
If yes, then you should be very, very worried about the proposed incinerator and even consider moving your family away.
Want to know why? - Please read on -
If we do nothing more, then the County Council will impose an incinerator upon us. Our opinion is that they have made up their minds and have not listened to, or satisfactorily answered our concerns. They will approve the incinerator this October.
Some questions to ponder:
Q. If the emissions are so safe, 'just steam and carbon dioxide' (so say Hampshire Waste), why does the chimney need to be 60m high?
A. Incinerator emissions are NOT safe - they are very toxic, full of cancer causing chemicals, vaporised heavy metals and caustic gases which can irritate the lungs.
Q. Don't weather forecasts include warnings to asthmatics about nitrogen dioxide and isn't dioxide the main pollutant from incinerators?
A. Nitrogen dioxide is known to worsen asthma symptoms, children who regularly use inhalers have more attacks as a result of the levels of nitrogen dioxide and other gases produced by the incinerator every minute, of every day for the next 25 years!
Q. You've had an incinerator before, so why not have another one?
A. We have been told that the old incinerator was closed as it was a very poor example, unable meet safety standards. It was leaking fly ash and exhaust gases into our environment. Did you ever stop to wonder what the ash that regularly coated your cars, or you breathed into your lungs was made up of? Toxic metals like mercury, lead and cadmium; dioxins and other toxic chemicals; fine acidic ash particles.
Chineham and its residents are still contaminated by the old incinerator; it is unjust to foist further toxic pollution on any of us. It is not possible to calculate the damage already done therefore,a sensible course would be not to add to this burden with a new incinerator.
Q. Surely the risks are very small, therefore they must be acceptable?
A. Judge for yourself....
- Risk of contracting BSE, 1 chance in 20 million (1:20,000,000)
- Chance of winning the lottery, 1 chance in 14 million (1:14,000,000) * 3 Winners in Basingstoke! *
- Chance of developing cancer due to heavy metal incinerator emissions, less than 1 chance in half a million (1:396,000) - These are Hampshire Waste Services' own figures.
One in four adults will develop cancer; almost all of these cancers are caused by environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, asbestos, radiation and chemicals in air pollution. An incinerator will increase this risk. The above risk calculation ignores more than 100 other cancer causing chemicals. The likely risk may be much much greater. The worrying thing is that nobody can be certain...
One in ten people (children and adults) suffers from asthma. At least 25% of them would be affected by the levels of pollution that Hampshire Waste estimate will be released (according to their environmental assessment and a study published in the Lancet)
Consider:-
Hampshire County Council are determined to force through the incinerator planning permission against the wishes of local people and Parish councillors. If an incinerator is built and the growing public concern against this process increases, then the value of property in Chineham and Old Basing will drop. Who will want to move into an area with an incinerator as a close neighbour?
The County Council will only allow 10 minutes for our objections to be presented on the day of the decision. The applicant (Hampshire Waste Services) has had countless opportunities to present their case that the incinerator is safe. Indeed, at all public meetings they have sat on the panel with the County whereas BBAC has never been invited! This is a scandalous state of affairs but it is real and has happened! This is totally unjust and simply demonstrates the lack of consideration for public opinion and our rights by our County Council.
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