INCINERATION IS A HEALTH THREAT
When rubbish is burned approximately 70% to 80% goes up the stack and out into our air as gases, vapours and fine particles. Incinerators emit dangerous chemicals, including dioxins, furans, hydrogen chloride, nitric oxide, fine particulates of toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, chromium etc. Once they have been turned into air pollution it is impossible to clean up. It ends up in our lungs and food. Pollution from incinerators travels great distances and lands on the farmland which grows our food(1).

INCINERATION IS THEREFORE A MAJOR THREAT TO IRISH FARMING AND OUR FOOD INDUSTRY.
* High dioxin emissions forced three incinerators in France to be closed down last year because they had contaminated 16 farms nearby and the cheese and milk from local dairies could no longer be sold (2).
* Farmers near several incinerators in Japan found they had difficulty selling their produce when news of high dioxin levels in their vegetables was made public (3).  In both these cases, the farmers were not at fault but they were the ones who suffered financially.
The Wexford IFA issued the following statement in December 1999:
"Farmers have responsibility for their produce and are governed by a number of laws surrounding food production; emissions from an incinerator whether real or imaginary could cause food quality concerns with retailers or consumers. Therefore, Wexford IFA would urge Wexford Co. Council to reject the South East Regional Authority's Waste Strategy."

Wexford county council rejected their waste plan 19 to 1 in January 2000. The EPA expert brought in to assure the councillors of the safety of incineration was unable to satisfactorily answer most of their questions! (4)