12th December 2007

Dear Sir

I have recently taken a Veolia tour and presentation of Sheffield incinerator, ahead of the official opening in November. Their capacity for rewriting history is staggering and frankly not at all surprising. I have been an environmentalist and managed recycling projects in Sheffield for almost 20 years. Before I leave the city and head back to my roots in Canada I have taken time to reflect.

Now I like a good old fashioned fire like the next man. A suitable clean and efficient incinerator, burning appropriate feedstock for Sheffield would not be a bad thing. Of course, we now have a monster incinerator double the size needed and no longer owned by the city but instead a private multinational. They want us to consider it a ‘Power Station’ that contributes to recycling targets and produces ‘renewable’ electricity. When the proposals were on the table I argued that it is too big. It would only be there to profit from changing waste strategies in the future years while tying the hands of other recycling initiatives during the 30 year contract.

This monopoly now owns all the domestic rubbish in Sheffield. Their main argument was the expected increase in domestic waste at 3% per year, requiring a waste facility twice the size of the previous failed incinerator. In only 3 years (and before the official launch) the domestic waste increase is down to 1% and falling. This should not come as any surprise following national initiatives to reduce waste across the board from carrier bags to electrical goods. Initiatives known to everyone at the time it seems, except the Planning Board.

The Planning Board did get one concession from ONYX (now Veolia) when the panel was deadlocked over whether to give planning permission. That was to ensure that the local facility would not import waste from neighbouring councils to be burnt in the middle of Sheffield. A maximum of 10% imported waste was agreed. The current shortfall arising from that decision is now made up from Trade Waste which is very profitable and which ONYX said would not be burnt in the incinerators feedstock. This to me is rewriting history.

It is so disappointing to see the lack of public control over this essential service. The Waste Sector that ought to have the most scope for innovative and greener strategies in this new world of depleting fossil fuel reserves is set back for a long, long time. Ah well, see you in 30 years.

Yours Sincerely

Barry New

Sheffield Green Party