GALWAY for a SAFE ENVIRONMENT
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Wednesday, July 19th , 2000
Galway for a Safe Environment (GSE) Residents for a Responsible Waste Management Policy Wednesday, July 19th , 2000 GSE Calls for "One More Push" As Decision-Day Approaches Incineration a "Discredited Technology" Worldwide Silent Demonstration Again at City Hall on Monday Night Welcome for Galway IFA Opposition to Incineration The debate on the proposed waste incinerator for Galway comes to a head next Monday night, July 24th, as City Councillors will finally make a decision on the controversial Connacht Draft Waste Management Plan. The choice will be whether recycling, composting and waste minimisation can meet the Government targets of 50% diversion from landfill in 15 years, or whether a huge municipal waste incinerator will be built, burning up to 185,000 tonnes of waste every year. Galway for a Safe Environment, the community group which coordinated a nine-month information campaign on the health effects of incineration, while promoting the non-burn alternatives of reduction, re-use and recycling, has called for the people of Galway to give "one more push" to the campaign against the incinerator. GSE will be organising another silent demonstration outside City Hall on Monday evening from 6.30 to 7.30 p.m. "Next Monday night, 15 councillors will make the most important environmental decision in the recent history of Galway. We have presented all of the health studies to the councillors, that show the damaging effects of incineration: the links with cancer, lowered intelligence in children, birth defects (see Health Summary below) and so on - we can only hope that they will now make the right decision", said GSE spokesman, Dr. Conchúr Ó Brádaigh. "Increasing numbers of countries worldwide have stopped building these incinerators, none have been built in the US in 5 years, none in Canada for 12 years, and Australia and New Zealand have recently brought in moratoriums on the building of these facilities. Even the EU Head of Waste Management, Ludwig Kraemer, says that "no more incinerators are being built" throughout the EU, and compared them to nuclear power stations", said Dr. Ó Brádaigh. "These countries have shown that it is possible to reduce dependence on landfill by up to 60%, and who knows how high recycling can go in the future ? The debate on the Connacht Draft Waste Management Plan has been a huge success in educating ourselves as to the importance of recycling and minimising waste, and City Councillors should now be confident that the people of Galway can take a lead in this areas, becoming the eco-city of Ireland". GSE point to the fact that Galway City has the highest glass recycling rates in the country, and that overall recycling has increased substantially in the past year. "It is vital, however, for this to happen, that the proposal to build the incinerator, or other type of thermal treatment plant be defeated on Monday night", said Conchúr Ó Brádaigh. "Our children will not thank us in the future if we don't take a stand against this discredited technology. This is why we are asking people to come and show their concern and support at City Hall on Monday evening" GSE particularly welcomed the support of Galway IFA, who last week addressed Galway County Council, in conjunction with the Galway Safe Waste Alliance, and opposed the building of the incinerator in Galway, as it would endanger the status of the food which farmers produce (see attached article from Connacht Tribune) *************************************************** Health Summary Dioxins are now confirmed to cause cancer in humans (USEPA Report, June 2000) Dioxins are estimated to cause 11% of cancers in the US (USEPA Report, June 2000) Municipal Solid Waste Incineration is the primary source of dioxins in eight out of nine industrialised countries (United Nation Environment Programme, 1999) 37% increased incidence of liver cancer in vicinity of British Incinerators (Elliott, 1996) Higher human dioxin levels were found in the vicinity of British Incinerators (Liam, 1997) 90% of dioxin intake is through the food we eat (USEPA). Current levels of dioxins in mothers in Holland are producing negative effects on their childrens intelligence (a 4-point loss in the IQ scale between the most and least exposed) Increased incidence of cleft palate in children born in incinerator plumes (Koppe, 1998) Dutch study also shows a reducton in ability to fight infections in children (a 6-fold increase in middle-ear infections between those most and least exposed) Ireland has the lowest levels of dioxin in cows milk in the industrialised world, levels up to 10 times lower than the next lowest in Europe. We aso have no large-scale incineration (Ref. Concannon et al. EPA Report, 1996) Confirmation: Conchúr Ó Brádaigh, 091-799223 / 087-283045 Áine Suttle, 091-581047 <!-- HTML Markup endspan --> </td> </tr> </table> <a name=bottom></a> </body> </html>