Newport Incinerator Update

24 Jan 2012

Stop Newport Incinerator Campaign I am circulating this as the initial incinerator mailing list has had some new members and I want us to all be aware of the latest information It is accepted that incinerators produce particulate matter of less than PM2.5 during the combustion process, and that these very fine particulates are extremely difficult ( and very expensive) to filter out from flue gases escaping from the chimney stack. Particulates of less than PM2.5 are absorbed through the lining of the lungs and into the bloodstream, then circulated throughout the human body causing damage resulting in poor health and premature death. Here is the link to the Sniffer report funded by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency , the Environment Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency which we have recently uncovered: http://www.sniffer.org.uk/Resources/ER12/Layout_Default/0.aspx?backurl=http% The Sniffer report finds:

It is estimated that eliminating exposure to man-made PM2.5 will yield greater benefits than eliminating road traffic accidents or exposure to passive smoking.
There is no recognised threshold below which there are no health effects.
Local Authorities could be expected to help implement national measures to reduce primary PM2.5 emissions
EU limit values established to ensure there are no hot-spots with excessive concentrations of PM2.5
The UK target is for a 15% reduction in annual mean PM2.5 at background locations across the major urban areas

Regarding hot-spots, I have attached the 2010 Newport Air Quality report – you need pages 15/16 - which show that areas such as Malpas and Caerleon Road already suffer dangerous levels of emissions. If we add to this emissions from incinerators (including Merthyr and Cardiff both of which will deposit their deadly load over much of Newport due to the prevailing wind) It is clear that an already hot spot will get a great deal hotter. This is an intolerable burden on the health of Newport people. SNIC is fighting to reduce pollution at all levels in the EU and the UK. Prosiect Gwerdd is not Green, and will only add to the insidious load of ill health already prevalent in our society. If granted planning permission, an incinerator giving out poisonous air will gnaw at our well-being and add millions of pounds to our healthcare bill at a time when it is being forced to find savings.