...LATEST NEWS...
Newhaven Incinerator cost doubles
-see Argus article and comments here
Preston Pages article:
Dump the Dump is continuing its campaign against the waste transfer
station in Hollingdean and is looking to link up with other groups within
East Sussex that can fight the waste local plan agreed by East Sussex
County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council.
In pursuit of its campaign DtD is seeking to raise funds for a number of
reasons including a human rights court case that it has initiated
following the Departments for Environment?s report that there was no safe
limit for particulate matter smaller than PM2.5 released in July. This
size of particulate was found to be present in significant quantities by
Brighton council?s own monitoring of the Hollingdean site in June.
When DtD wrote to the council pointing out the fact that new evidence was
now available the council effectively replied that there were no
regulations governing the emission of PM2.5?s, a cynical view. In
addition the council officers have said that they do not believe that the
government will be able to introduce legislation that will restrict this
size of particle because they are so prevalent.
In the US these regulations already exist and the European Union has now
said it will introduce legislation similar to that across the pond. The
only place where PM2.5 particulates appear to be seen as acceptable is
Brighton.
Governments in Europe have actually been slow to react to this pollution.
Dr Dick Van Steenis has for many years warned of the dangers. Using
studies carried out in places such as Harlem in New York and San
Francisco in California that showed that these particulates are
exceedingly dangerous because they are small enough to enter the lungs
and embed themselves.
This can cause anything from respiratory diseases, to cancers and can
affect a foetus in its mother?s womb causing abnormalities or death.
These health issues are the reasons why DtD has taken the decision to
take the campaign to court and we hope that the community, which showed
its support during the elections, will continue to back us for the sake
of our children and all those vulnerable people affected by this
pernicious development.
In addition DtD needs to raise funds to carry out independent monitoring
of the work in Hollingdean and to follow up that work with expert advice.
The campaign has already run up some debts, currently around £1,000,
following legal advice that it has taken over the last 16 months and
through its successful local election campaign in May.
In all the campaign is currently looking to raise an initial £5,000 to
maintain the fight against the disgraceful decision to build a 200,000
tonne dump in the middle of the Hollingdean community.
Any donations would be very gratefully received via Paypal or send your
contributions to: Dump the Dump, 2 May Cottages Hollingdean Rd BN2 4AP.
Report on Dump The Dump's Public Meeting on alternative strategies for Waste Management
Thursday 19th July, Brighthelm Centre
About 80 people were in attendance at this important meeting, perhaps the most useful one yet, organised by Dump The Dump to publicize their campaign's commitment to a more sustainable Waste Local Plan. Many in attendance were local to Hollingdean, Round Hill and St Peter's, though there was also a significant presence of 'Defenders' of The Ouse Valley Estuary.
All three Speakers raised awareness of the dangers of dumping rubbish in Hollingdean and then burning it over Newhaven.
1. Norman Baker
Norman Baker, the MP for Lewes, reminded those present that "waste is money". He lamented the irresponsibility of the two Local Authorities which signed the 25-year contract with Veolia, and the low priority given to environmental health in the failure of the Councils to do a proper study of the alternatives to incineration, or even to write the transportation of domestic waste by rail into such a foolishly long contract.
2. Dr Dick van Steenis MBBS
Dr Dick van Steenis MBBS highlighted the risks of particulates, especially PM2.5s which are small enough to get into people's breathing tubes, as well as PM2s which can reach into the bottom of people's lungs. He claimed that incineration of waste causes a shortening of lifespan in human-beings of up to 12 years, by increasing a range of diseases especially cancers. He also described a study in Belgium, which has monitored a 480% rise in cancer in the vicinity of an incinerator.
Concern about PM2.5 particulates was expressed too in the context of construction works going on now at Hollingdean Depot, with particular reference to the Hydrogen Peroxide (rocket fuel) being used to deal with diesel contamination on the site to form a sludge. Local residents at the meeting expressed concern about particulates in the dust on the site, which was being driven by the westerly winds towards their homes.
Dr Dick van Steenis MBBS recommended three measures which concerned residents could take:
1) Move home
2) Acquire a Hepa Filter
3) Take Selenium tablets 200 mg (adequate selenium in your blood neutralises the metals to stop mutations from leading to birth defects and cancers). This webmaster stresses that the latter should not be tried before seeking the advice and guidance of your GP. In larger doses, Selenium is also a poison.
Dr van Steenis lamented the failure of any UK government agency to effectively measure the PM2.5s entering people's lungs. We were reminded that no such monitoring was taking place at Hollingdean Depot and that this may be the subject of a case which the Dump the Dump campaign is currently compiling, which it hopes to take to The High Court.
The medical doctor emphasized that The UK, unlike USA, refuses to measure what goes into your lungs namely PM2.5s to enable companies (like Veolia) to maximise profit.
He cited the downgrading of The Integrated Pollution & Prevention Control Law in 2000 by John Prescott to more or less "anything will do" status.
The UK Government's Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affiars DEFRA as well as their Primary Care Trusts appear to have no problem with PM2.5s. DEFRA has much looser standards on this than The World Health Organisation. We may in fact have to look to European legislation to safeguard us from the current situation.
As a result of this Laisser-Faire attitude towards our health, Councils only measure irrelevant PMlOs down to PM4s. The Environment Agency & Councils have been told not to bother much with air pollution.
The Environment Agency truthfully states that they know nothing about health. Far worse, the Health Protection Agency follows on from the Guy's Hospital unit director who said "Air pollution does not exist".
So without knowledge of toxicology or possessing adequate data they only heed government "spin" and "reviews" and "diktat", while admitting they really know nothing. The Primary Care Trust Public Health directors in the UK are also totally ignorant of the subject, so pressurised by conflicts of interest or political "spin", they are exposed as not having learnt the subject or checked data on their own computers or checked studies done worldwide.
Dr Dick van Steenis MBBS concluded that it was up to us, the residents who are being subjected to these risks, to challenge the Primary Care Trust public health directors whom the General Medical Council say must know the subject and be up to date and listen to public and colleagues.
The Environment Agency cannot finally authorise any application (from companies such as Veolia) unless the Council and Primary Care Trust public health director have both passed it.
This gives us an insight in the kind of legal challenge which The Dump The Dump campaign are currently compiling. No doubt, Dr van Steenis's expertise will be a component of this challenge.
3. Jane Wilde
The final speaker was Jane Wilde of East London Community Recycling, whose theme was "working for communities - Composting alternatives to incineration".
Jane's presentation focused on what Councils, local residents and community enterprises can do to minimize the problems of waste disposal.
She started by describing the East London Community Recycling Scheme, which collects and composts food waste.
Lottery money is used to fund this scheme and food waste collections are made from 5000 households in Hackney and a lesser number of households in some other neighbouring boroughs.
Local residents are given (EM Bokashi) micro-organisms to break down the food waste, so that 'good microbes' result in no smells and no problems with rats, flies or cats seeking to open black bags.
All the composting is done in the neighbourhoods where the food waste is produced. The compost is then given back to residents and used to green the estate. The scheme, employs over 30 local residents and their uniformed presence has led to reduced 'fear of crime' among Hackney residents.
Jane Wilde emphasized that the very best way is to compost is at home, and it needed an intervention from the floor to satisfy her that Brighton and Hove City Council and CityClean are indeed encouraging Home Composting. Jane also mentioned the efficiency of wormeries from recycled tyres.
She continued her talk by outlining some larger composting schemes, which Councils in other parts of the country are using:
1. Aerobic Digester (Biotel)
Can handle raw meat and fish. Makes liquid fertiliser
2. Vertical Composters (TEG)
Invessel Composter TEG
Valuable compost, decreased odour and pathogens.
3. Anaerobic Digesters
Prevents CH4 methane and CO2 Carbon Dioxide going to landfill, as forbidden now under the Landfill Directive. (methane is 22 times as harmful as CO2 in landfill).
Produces bio-fertilizer
Produces renewable electricity
Greenfinch in Shropshire
Shropshire District Council
Jane Wilde concluded that the very worst thing that we could do with food waste is to incinerate it together with other black bag waste.
For example, the incineration of 3000 tons of food waste requires 870 tonnes of water - water which could be saved for far better uses.
There is great scope here for improving our management of waste in Brighton and Hove. Food waste accounts for 25%-30% of the waste stream (our black bag waste). Together Kitchen and Garden accounts for betwen 30-35%. By separating out this waste, which should not really be with the rest of the black bag waste, the 65%-70% which remains in the black bag will be a lot cleaner. This will make Materials Recovery and Recycling a lot easier.
Thank you for the support at our launch party this week
We were thrilled to see over 50 people at our launch party on Wednesday 18th. Gareth, who helped set up Dump the Dump, drove all the way from Wales to wish us luck.
Ed opened up the debate by explaining why we were standing in the local election. Then Nick, Jo and Debbie told us how they would make great councillors who would represent our community.
A wide range of stimulating questions were put to the candidates and the campaign team, until we were finally asked to leave by the Tin Drum at closing time.
Spread the word – we all get 3 votes in this election – ask everyone to make their first vote for Dump the Dump
Posters! Posters! Posters!
Please put up our poster in your window today.
It is vital encouragement for us to keep on with the campaign!
Stop right now and find the sellotape!
You know it makes sense!
Please contact us at dumpthedumphelpers@yahoo.co.uk if you have not got a poster, and we will deliver to your door.
Or download a poster from our HOME page at www.dumpthedump.org.uk.
You can check your ward on your polling card, or email us.
Hollingdean Dump enters School Admissions Debate!
Letter to the Argus, 1st March
“Pat on the back
Congratulations to Pat Hawkes, chair of the children, families and schools committee, for the manner in which she steered a very difficult and controversial issue through (The Argus, February 28).
This was always going to be tough going because there are no simple answers to this complex problem, one which is becoming increasingly common throughout the country.
Schools in Brighton and Hove were deliberately located where they now are for health reasons.
We have forgotten that in previous decades this city, as with others, was heavily polluted by smoke from domestic and commercial premises.
Schools were built according to "open air" principles to give children the opportunity to be educated in more pleasant surroundings than the dense urban areas they lived in. Thus they were concentrated above the main parts of the town. Choice was not an issue because the decision as to which school a child went to was determined by the 11+.
Once you have parental choice, you cannot allocate on a purely geographic basis because that disadvantages children who live further away from the schools.
Therefore, the schools admissions review proposals are the only means by which all parents have as reasonable a choice as is possible”
· Councillor Ken Bodfish, East Drive, Brighton
Letter to the Argus, 8th March
“Waste transfer
Councillor Ken Bodfish says (Letters, March 1) that Brighton and Hove's schools were sited in the outlying districts so that children could be spared the soot and smoke of the centre.
I am grateful to him for reminding us of this. It makes me ask why his Labour party has chosen to plonk a waste transfer site next to an infant school in Hollingdean”
Good News!! – a successful challenge to a development proposal
In case you missed this story, follow the link to read about a South London resident who has successfully opposed the development of a cinema complex next to her home, and on the site of a local park:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1984508,00.html
Further Opportunity to Object to the Newhaven Incinerator Application –
deadline this Friday 2nd February
We have been told that the Newhaven incinerator application is being held up because it is being viewed as a departure from the East Sussex
Planning Policies in relation to its visual impact on the South Downs AONB. There is another opportunity to object, but only until this Friday 2nd
Feb.
(see http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/environment/planning/applications/erf/departure for details)
Please quote the application number: LW/462/CM(EIA)(PE)
It has been suggested that people comment on its visual impact on the surrounding area - ie spoiling the views from the Downs down the Ouse Valley to the sea and also the views from Newhaven north towards the Downs – and any other comments about why there should not be an incinerator in Newhaven.
If you would like to cut and paste from a standard letter,please click here
Letters including the application reference and your name and address need to go to:
The Director
Transport & Environment Department
East Sussex County Council
County Hall
St Anne's Crescent
Lewes BN7 1UE
Or you can comment via the ESCC website (again with your name and
address details and the application reference): https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/forms/eforms.aspx?f=142&p=1
Dump the Dump Public Meeting Report
Due to the many current issues and concerns about the demolition and planned development on the Hollingdean depot site, we held a Public Meeting.
Please click on the link below to read the Argus report of the Dump the Dump Public Meeting held on Thursday 7th December:
http://www.theargus.co.uk/search/display.var.1063492.0.pledge_to_fight_on_over_dump.php
Questions and Answers from the “Demolition Surgery” held 17th November
Parents of children at Downs Infants have been very concerned about the demolition of the buildings on the site. The demolition is being managed by Veolia. Some parents have withdrawn their children from the school during the demolition period, for fears about their children’s long term health.
This has understandably raised anxiety about the safety of what is happening so a group of concerned parents recently set up their own DEMOLITION SURGERY at the school. Veolia and the Council were invited, but did not attend. Two local councillors were present, Kevin Allen (Labour – Preston Park) and Keith Taylor (Green – St Peters and North Laine)
Over 50 parents came to the meeting, and the questions they raised about the demolition have now been presented to and responded to by Veolia and the Council -
Please click here to download the questions raised by parents at the Demolition Surgery.
Please click here to read the responses received from the Council.
Please click here to read the responses received from Veolia Environmental Services.
DOVE Car Crawl report
Please click here to read the Argus report of the car crawl held on Sunday 10th Dec by the Defenders of the Ouse Valley and Estuary (DOVE) who are campaigning against plans to build an incinerator in Newhaven.
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1066587.0.traffic_chaos_in_waste_plant_goslow_protest.php
