Incinerator rapped as 19th century

Paul Jeeves

A WORLD-renowned academic has accused two Yorkshire councils of “living in the 19th century” over controversial plans to build a multi-million pound incinerator to burn waste.

Professor Paul Connett, who has emerged as a leading environmental campaigner over the last 25 years, has ridiculed the “pathetic” recycling targets set by North Yorkshire County Council and York Council.

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He has claimed that the two authorities should ditch the incinerator scheme and place a far greater reliance on alternative green technologies to deal with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste every year. Prof Connett, who has given more than 2,000 public presentations in 52 countries about waste management, admitted that the world is facing its biggest challenges since the Industrial Revolution to become increasingly sustainable.

But the retired professor of chemistry from St Lawrence University in Canton, New York, added: “Incineration should be the last option, and certainly not the preferred option. At a time when councils are having to cut back their spending, it simply makes no sense to commit this amount of money to a scheme involving incineration.

“It is an out-dated technology with no flexibility and the councils are living in the 19th century if they push ahead with the incinerator plans. It simply should have no place in the 21st century.” Blueprints for the first recycling plant of its kind in the country were unveiled in June under a 900m deal which will be the biggest contract awarded by the two councils.

The scheme will involve a series of recycling techniques operating from the same site to handle up to 320,000 tonnes of waste a year, although the most contentious element will be the introduction of the incinerator.

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The waste management plant, which will create 70 jobs and is due to be built at Allerton Park between York and Harrogate, is aimed at ensuring the two councils reach a target of recycling at least 50 per cent of waste by 2020. However, Prof Connett claimed a 75 per cent target is achievable and pointed towards cities such as San Francisco which have made huge strides in boosting recycling rates. The Californian city hit a 50 per cent recycling rate a decade ago and is now up to 75 per cent, and is aiming towards a zero waste policy by 2020.

The “polluter pays” principle, where financial penalties are imposed for the amount of waste that is not recycled, has also made a major impact on increasing recycling rates in countries including Italy.

However, senior council officials have attempted to allay concerns about the incinerator after Government studies insisted there are no dangers to public health.

A decision is due in December on whether the contract for the waste management plant should be awarded to the preferred bidder, a major international company called AmeyCespa.

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County council corporate director for business and environmental services David Bowe said: “Energy from Waste (EfW) is a tried and tested technology and widely used today. EfW is included in AmeryCespa’s waste management solution because, no matter how high our recycling rates can become, there will still be some waste left that needs disposal or treatment.

“We plan to increase traditional recycling to over 50 per cent but the proposals include mechanical sorting and reclamation of recyclable materials and bio-waste left in the waste to make sure we realise its full value.”

The waste strategy is aimed at saving taxpayers up to 320m as the Government imposes stringent fines for rubbish being dumped in landfill sites.

Fines which currently stand at 48 a tonne of rubbish which ends up in landfill are due to rise by 8 a year.