The air we breathe...

'Pollution for profit, we need to stop it' and 'air pollution is not the solution' read a couple of the numerous placards at the protest in the Market Square back in September. "Many residents have health concerns. Since I moved to Sneinton I started developing astma" says a woman who lives only yards from the waste burning facility. She speaks of the fact that Sneinton has a remarkable high level of astma and skin and cancer related diseases. But no proper research has enabled them to link it directly to the pollution coming from the incinerator. "It's disgusting that the incinerator releases way over the allowed amounts of dioxines in the air and no action is taken against them. The Enviroment Agency has recorded a level of 900% the allowed amount of dioxines coming from the chimney during their annual check last March and they've not done anything"

This is Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill [NAIL] case against the proposed expansion:

Nottingham's Eastcroft municipal incinerator is proposing to expand its facility, please support our campaign to prevent the expansion of this unnecessary, highly polluting, poorly regulated plant. Our Labour City Council is supporting the expansion that will see other people's waste being imported from the surroundings counties, to be incinerated in Nottingham to pollute our air. At NAIL we want our City to enter into the 21st Century and put incineration in the past, where it belongs. We are campaigning to get our City Council to stop supporting the incinerator, oppose the expansion plans and end its contract with Waste Recycling Group and improve on its appallingly low recycling rate of 9 only %. We must end the madness of incineration and the continued pollution of our most precious resource, air the substance of life. We have a right to breath air free of dust, heavy metals, chemicals and substances that we know are highly poisonous and cause cancer.

Incinerators do NOT destroy waste, it is one of the fundamental principles of science that matter can never be destroyed; it can only ever be transformed. Incinerators basically turn rubbish into ash, gases and particulate matter. These gases and the poisons are spewed into the atmosphere, to the air, which we breathe. Eventually they fall to earth where we consume the poisons through our food. Incinerators DO NOT destroy waste, our rubbish still exists we may see less of it, but we're inhaling and eating it instead.

Why should the expansion be stopped?

Nottingham City has one of the lowest recycling rates in the country, only 9%. Instead of increasing this to a more acceptable level, it is proposed to increase the incineration rate by building a third line and importing other people's waste! Proposals could mean that waste is imported in Nottingham from Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and incinerated in Nottingham to poison the residents of Nottingham. Incinerators are highly polluting and poorly regulated. They contribute to global warming. They produce 'Acid Rain' gases. Other wastes include toxic heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, tin, and other poisons such as PCB's and Dioxins, which are extremely cancerous. The most poisonous substances, such as PCB's and Dioxins are only spot measured twice a year, so the overall discharged levels are estimated levels. Traffic delivering rubbish to the plant and removing ash will increase by 50 % leading to local disturbance and pollution. The incinerator costs Nottingham's Council Tax payers around a £1,000,000 per year. Much of what the incinerator burns waste, which could otherwise be recycled, thereby reducing pollution & employing more people. The current plant regularly breaches its authorised emission levels. Recycling paper uses 67% less energy than manufacturing it from raw wood pulp. Recycling 1 aluminium drink can save enough energy to run a TV for 5 hours.

Did you know?

- Most of Nottingham City's waste is incinerated, NOT recycled.
- The proposed expansion will lead to industrial waste being imported from the surrounding area.
- Manufacturing paper from recycled material not only save forests, but uses a third of the energy requirements than manufacturing it from wood pulp.
- Up to 80 % of household waste can be recycled.
- The City Council is losing £1 million per year of your money as a result of its heating contract with the incinerator.
- A British study of municipal incinerators published in 2000 found that children living within 5km of an incinerator had twice the rate of leukaemia and cancers of other children.
- The Sint Niklaas incinerator in Belgium met E.U safety limits but was shown to cause a 480% increase in cancer amongst local residents and shortened life spans by 12 years - it was shut down.

Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill [NAIL] - 0845 458 2813 - email: mail@nail.uk.net - web: http://www.nail.uk.net