Memorandum submitted by Dr. Dick van Steenis
(Waste 55)
I comment on your list of items.
1. No mention is made in item 1 of imported waste.
As advisors to DEFRA such as Enviros do not have a clue about
PM2.5s or health effects of industrial air pollution, policy decisions
being made are the worst possible option. BAT and BATNEEC are
specified in IPPC as the required means of waste management which
means PLASMA GASIFICATION not incineration( energy from waste
or plain)as being used in Panama, Canada, USA etc. Panama is planning
10 such units to handle the country's entire waste which will
produce 40% of their electricity, hydrogen for export to USA and
gravel for use. I recommend the 5 page detailed report in Popular
Science magazine of March 2007. Analysis of ONS infant mortality
data by electoral ward 2003/4/5 in greater London reveals levels
of 9.0 in zones of wards downwind of the London incinerators compared
with only 1.3 upwind, meaning almost 7 times the infant deaths
caused by incinerator emissions of PM2.5 particulates. PM2.5s
are not monitored or regulated unlike USA. DEFRA has a few PM2.5
monitors but most are of the type that can be calibrated to read
minus that means results fiddled. In Brighton in June 2007 PM2.5s
were measured at minus 106ug/m3 which means the instruments were
fraudulently adjusted to produce false readings. Incinerators
produce 30% contaminated ash which needs disposal. Plasma gasification
costs £31.50/ton in Ottawa and £23/ton for a larger
unit in Florida with no outlay by the council on erection. The
health damage from UK incinerators is horrific. IU attach 2 reports
written recently plus 337 references while DEFRA has no references.[158]
2. IN USA PM2.5s which are the only size
particles emitted that get into your lungs are heavily regulated.
Here there are no measurements stack top or downwind of these.
Mishaps and incidents are ignored by the Environment Agency due
to downgrading of IPPC in 2000 to "anything will do".
In USA $10 million fines are commonplace.
5. Composting. DEFRA has been paying for
composting of meat waste with grass at 5 sites in Yorkshire. As
a direct result at a downwind farm nearby 41 cows died near Selby
from mycotoxin poisoning, the farmers became ill and black &
yellow moulds contaminate their hay stacks facing the composting
units. The program I consider obscene and soil will be become
contaminated also.
4A friend thought you would be interested in this
article from Popsci.com:
The Prophet of Garbage—Popular Science
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aae7bf86c0110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd/2.html
In conclusion I would appreciate being allowed
to appear before the committee.
Dr. Dick van Steenis MBBS
158 Not printed. Back
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