SUCCESS! Council comes out firmly against Biomass Incinerator

 All but one of the Vale of Glam Councillors voted on Wed. 27^th to

1 Share public concern that no EIA was ever done

2 Review all VoG planning decisions on the incinerator

3 Urge Welsh Govt to issue a Discontinuance Order

4 Consider the expediency of taking enforcement action

This massive industrial plant, close to homes, has no valid planning permission.
Many Conditions on the Outline permission are still unmet, and the buildings differ.
They have to re-start with a proper EIA for a DNS application, or just give up.

The Welsh Minister has to do what she has been avoiding since last April when her Planning officers advised her to issue a Discontinuance Order to comply with her duty to prevent the plant operating without EIA.

The Council Motion's 4th point was amended from the original moved by Cllr Vince Bailey that specified the cessation of all operations on site.  These words were copied from their own Planning Officer who warned the company that 

the only remedy to such a breach of planning control would be to require the removal of the development in its entirety or, at the very least, the cessation of all operations on site.

That is what the public is expecting, now that the Incinerator is in breach of a whole slew of Conditions on the 2015 outline planning consent.  The Vale officers allowed them to breach conditions on noise, emissions and no nightime working when constructing the plant.  At last the Councillors have stepped firmly against this lawless company.

Long-outdated Air Pollution assessment still used in Wales

The official Welsh (WG) classification of Air Pollution levels (link) is inherited from the old Department of Health (DoH), based on COMEAP 'experts' who've changed their minds below). It’s still posted up for use, despite new Welsh policy issued in 2017. This included statutory guidance to Local Authorities on giving special consideration to the long-term risks posed to babies and children via exposure to air pollution. The old DoH/WG classification doesn’t.  This daily air quality index (DAQI) is also based on quite outdated standards for adults.

The World Health Organisation produced guidance in 2012/13, including identifying PM2.5 as a human carcinogen, but the WG took no notice until the Minister’s statement of June 2017. Revised WHO Air quality guidelines are due out in 2020. 

The WHO annual mean concentration guideline for particulate matter stipulates that PM2.5 not exceed 10 μg/m³ annual mean and 25 μg/m³ 24-hour mean; also that PM10 not exceed 20 μg/m³ annual mean, or 50 μg/m³ daily mean ( 24-hour).  PM2.5 is most closely related to ill-health impacts (see below).

The DoH/Welsh classification clings to the pre-WHO numbers, calling PM2.5 values below 35  “low” (40% higher than the WHO limit) and below 53 “moderate” (double the WHO limit).  It’s highly remiss of the Environment Minister that she has failed to withdraw this completely misleading classification and issue a new one for guidance of the people of Wales.

Vale of Glamorgan monitoring of the Barry 'Biomass' Incinerator

The Council has purchased two monitors that measure PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 every 15 minutes.  The averages for each hour are now posted daily.   We presume the numbers are accurate as the monitors have been working for two years.  However, users should ignore the low/moderate/high classification and colouring, which are the old defective WG/DoH ones above. 

View of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on particulate pollution (link)

Outdoor air pollution is a major environmental health problem affecting everyone in low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

   Ambient (outdoor) air pollution in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year in 2016; this mortality is due to exposure to small particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5), which cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and cancers.

  People living in low- and middle-income countries disproportionately experience the burden of outdoor air pollution with 91% (of the 4.2 million premature deaths) occurring in low- and middle-income countries, and the greatest burden in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. The latest burden estimates reflect the very significant role air pollution plays in cardiovascular illness and death. More and more, evidence demonstrating the linkages between ambient air pollution and the cardiovascular disease risk is becoming available, including studies from highly polluted areas.

  WHO estimates that in 2016, some 58% of outdoor air pollution-related premature deaths were due to ischaemic heart disease and strokes, while 18% of deaths were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections respectively, and 6% of deaths were due to lung cancer.

  Some deaths may be attributed to more than one risk factor at the same time. For example, both smoking and ambient air pollution affect lung cancer. Some lung cancer deaths could have been averted by improving ambient air quality, or by reducing tobacco smoking.

  A 2013 assessment by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that outdoor air pollution is carcinogenic to humans, with the particulate matter component of air pollution most closely associated with increased cancer incidence, especially lung cancer. An association also has been observed between outdoor air pollution and increase in cancer of the urinary tract/bladder.

Origin of the Air Quality index and Banding

COMEAP first introduced the UK’s Air Quality index in 1998 (Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants:  Statement on Banding of Air Quality, 1998. Link).

Their subsequent 2011 Review of the UK Air Quality Index (Daily AQI or DAQI) was introduced by Defra and devolved administrations from 1 Jan.2012.  It was COMEAP’s final publication before being disbanded and the last effort of British medical pollution ‘experts’ to maintain that only sensitive people need worry about air pollution (even said as “exquisitely sensitive” in Prof. Harrison’s evidence for an incinerator company – Portsmouth Incinerator Inquiry, 2000**).  British medical policy leaders in COMEAP, including Prof Harrison, were compromised in favour of incinerators at that time. Evidence on permanent harm to child-lung development was accumulating, measured as lung function, US/Calif authorities were recommending against children exercising outdoors during high ozone episodes, and European experts were developing the WHO guidance.  Prof Stephen Holgate chaired the COMEAP Review, which is thick with material on asthma, Holgate’s speciality.  They devised the irresponsible advice that only children with ‘lung problems’ should ‘consider’ ‘reducing’ ‘strenuous’ exercise at times of moderate or high pollution. The report says they were motivated by inter alia 

•          the need to avoid an exaggerated level of worry and concern
•          our view that children with no known respiratory disease were unlikely to be particularly susceptible to the effects of air pollution.

Most or all of the Review group published a scientific paper (Gowers et al. 2012) which found “outdoor air pollution might play a role in causing asthma in susceptible individuals”, but dismissed it as only a small contribution and a small proportion of the population. COMEAP in effect dismissed the then evidence of the pollution causing onset of new asthma cases, instead of taking a precautionary approach ("exaggerated level of worry and concern"). They had failed to learn from the BSE episode - scientists...part of the problem: Nature, Oct. 2000).   Their advice to asthmatic children was just use their inhaler.

Nowadays, however, Stephen Holgate talks of pollution worsening asthma and COPD and even emphasises the need to reduce NO2 as a cause of new-onset child asthma.  Prof Harrison likewise changed his view, but their COMEAP report lives on the DAQI.  Even though Welsh government policy is reduction of NO2, their Health Boards play it down and their NRW permits increases in NO2 up to the old limits. 

** Unpublished Evidence, via Public Interest Consultants, 2000 

VoG Council limits Recycling to feed 25-year Incinerator contract

The VoG Council is being asked to confirm its 65% limit on recycling for the 25-year Project Gwyrdd / Incinerator contract.

Project Gwyrdd wants Councils to sign contracts for Guaranteed Minimum Payments for 25 years, based on supplying municipal waste whatever success in reducing volumes and recycling rates.

Calling them Guaranteed Minimum Annual Tonnages last November, P. Gwyrdd recognised this looked like guaranteeing production of waste to feed their incinerator, so changed the name to guaranteed Payments.

Same difference! Each Council is to pay based on guesses at future waste volumes and aiming for only 65% recycling by 2025. Both should be challenged.

P Gwyrdd planned in 2007/8 for increasing waste volumes, yet the statistics show continuing decrease since 2005, from 1.9 to 1.7 million tonnes in 2009/10 (diagram below). WAG set a target for slower decreases by 1.2% pa, then the total dropped faster last year because of the recession. Yet P. Gwyrdd clings to arguments for increasing waste to feed its incinerator.

Second, the Vale Council policy is to maximise recycling and composting, to conform to the Welsh Strategy. The rate has risen from 30% to 50% in a few years. Our leading Councillors talk of boosting recycling and foodwaste collections. They've contracted to Biffa who claim levels of 70% in exemplar Councils. Levels of 80-90% are said to be practicable.

So how can Council leaders contract to only 65% recycling and only by 2025?

FoE asks - will Plaid, the Independents and the Labour groups reject this figure? Will they reject any P. Gwyrdd contract that binds the VoG to residual waste levels based on the 65% and growing waste volumes​?

Large wood-incinerator rejected in Manchester area

Barton wood-fuelled incinerator rejected against Council officer advice

Trafford Council’s planning committee voted unanimously to reject Peel’s proposal for a 200,000 tonne incinerator, described by Peel as the “Barton Energy Plant”, which would have primarily burned waste wood.

    The committee rejected the plant against officer recommendation, as it would harm the regeneration of the area - because it would cause people to move away. The similar ‘Sunrise’ wood-burner in Barry dock is smaller at 70 000 tpa, but the argument about people and businesses moving away was never used. 

    Their Council spokeswoman was open-minded enough to say was a "genuine and significant public concern over the perceived impact on public health" of the planned incinerator, whereas our Council officers were just sore at the rejection of ‘Sunrise’.

    The proposal submitted in December 2010 was opposed by the Breathe Clean Air Group (BCAG) and Biofuelwatch.  “Last night’s decision vindicates all the hard work undertaken by the Breathe Clean Air Group” said chairman Pete Kilvert. “We have worked tirelessly to ensure that our case was based on strong scientific evidence. We are thrilled that the whole community stood together and wish to thank all the Councillors who spoke out against the plant last night. This is an historic victory for the people of Urmston”

    The company has 3 months to decide whether to appeal the decision, which would result in a public inquiry.  Their incinerator was to burn 90% biomass: 70-75% “waste wood” and “15-25% from other plant-derived biomass, such as managed forestry residues, energy crops and agricultural residues”, but also solid recovered fuel from municipal waste etc.

      More details in these media reports:
Barton Energy Plant plans rejected by Trafford Council (BBC news)
Plans for biomass power plant in Davyhulme are rejected by councillors (Manchester Evening News)

No to incineration in Wales

United lobby of AMs and demonstration at the Senedd
     Cardiff Bay:  Tuesday, November 15  12:00pm - 3:00pm

The Merthyr campaign's victory should hearten us all. In Cardiff and Newport, where incinerators are still planned, we need to send a clear message that toxic waste-burning is not acceptable anywhere in Wales -- not near our homes, not near our neighbors, not in our air!  In Barry Dock, where the Council gave outline planning permission for 80 00 tonnes pa waste burning, tell them no!

The story of the Welsh government collusion over Covanta's incinerator proposed near Merthyr - and just abandoned - is given by South Wales WIN using documents obtained under Freedom of Information.

Fracking application REJECTED at Planning Meeting THURS 20th

Resounding victory!
The  Planning Committee unanimously rejected the Llandow application for test-boreholes for #fracking, mainly on the basis of Dwr Cymru arguments on  possible contamination of the groundwater.

BBC Wales broadcasted demonstrations outside the Civic offices live at 18:45 tonight.  The result was later broadcast at 22:30 by Cllr Nic Hodges (Plaid).

Congratulations to theValesaysNo campaign and all who joined in!

This unanimous rejection of the Planning Officer's recommendation should not only stop past practice of facilitating resubmission of a similar application, but also cause Rob Thomas to reflect on his rejection by the ruling Tory group and consider resigning.

Prosiect Gwyrdd phoney roadshow

Prosiect Gwyrdd (incinerator scam) phoney roadshow came to Barry on Saturday 15th Ocotber.  People approached seeing a pile of recycling bins being given away and the prominent messages about what's in your bin. 

Barry DIAG and Friends of the Earth
explained that the real agenda is promoting incinerators - one needs to look at the small print inside P Gwyrdd's caravan - and distributed the flyer on
Scam Gwyrdd in town



Their PR man, Ian Lloyd-Davies was very shy when we opened a camera - he grabbed a green-waste bag to hide behind as below.  But the picture to the lower right got him.

incinerator spin-doctor - so shy

PR-man caught on camera

Special VoG council meeting dedicated to fracking

EXTRAORDINARY meeting of a South Wales council will hear arguments on both sides of the debate over the controversial extraction of shale gas in the region.

"Vale Says NO" gives 6pm on Mon. 17th October, which follows a showing of the film Gasland at 3pm and is open to the public.

 Peter Collins reported in the SW Echo 8th Oct.:

Councillors are to hold a special meeting of the Vale of Glamorgan’s economy and environment committee amid growing concerns over plans which could lead to a full-scale fracking operation at the Llandow Industrial Estate.

The Vale Says No campaign group have been invited to address the committee alongside Eden Energy and Coastal Oil and Gas, which has submitted plans to test drill for shale gas at Llandow.

Under planning regulations, the council’s planning committee will have to reach a decision on the plan by October 12 (untrue, and the deferral on 29 Sept. means they won't).

If the test drilling verifies the company’s estimates of the size of the shale gas reserve underneath South Wales, it could open the way for an application for a full-scale hydraulic fracturing operation, known as fracking, to extract the gas.

Pressure is also mounting on the Welsh Government and the UK Government to produce a framework to guide councils faced with planning applications for fracking, which has been accused in America of polluting water supplies.

The scrutiny committee has written to both governments, the Welsh Local Government Association and all Welsh MPs and AMs demanding action on a policy framework.

Environmental campaigner and councillor Rob Curtis said: “The potential discovery of a huge shale gas field below the South Wales coalfield means residents of the Vale need an evidence-based policy which will help protect their local environment.”

Vale council leader Gordon Kemp has called on the Welsh Government to deal with fracking applications given “the significant sensitivities” around applications.

He has called on the Welsh Government to take responsibility in planning matters relating to the exploration and exploitation of shale gas reserves and produce a national Welsh framework policy.

The Welsh Government said it would “welcome working with the UK Government on developing a framework for the whole of UK.”

Louise Evans, of the Vale Says No campaign, said: “I welcome the opportunity to address the committee on this important issue.”

Gerwyn Williams of Coastal Oil and Gas could not be contacted.

The Vale Says No campaign will hold a protest surgery at Cowbridge Town Hall starting at noon on 17th October (tbc).

Wales' First Minister ducks fracking policy

Wales' First Minister wrote on 29 Sept. that Wales would not consider a (new) policy on fracking, in letter to the VoG Leader that took 4 months to write.  This despite the calls including from Labour's Shadow Minister in Westminster (below).

The Irish government is showing Wales up too:

BBC News - Fracking for gas prompts Irish government study - while Welsh Government ducks the issue bbc.in/p3yP8P

Shale gas fracking: UK government policy call - BBC News 31 July 2011 By Caroline Rigby

Shadow UK Energy Minister Huw Irranca-Davies has called for the UK government to devise a policy on shale gas.

The UK's lack of fracking regulation is insane | George Monbiot: Guardian