Slough Anti-Incinerator Network branch out

Slough Anti-Incinerator Network (SAIN) have branched out. Well-attended public meetings held in Hounslow and Hillingdon have led to the formation of new anti-incinerator groups affiliated to SAIN. These groups have pledged to fight the signing of any waste contracts with Grundon and the incinerator project as a whole. In addition to this, the London Federation of Green Parties have recently voted unanimously to campaign against this disastrous plan. West London Friends of the Earth are also actively involved in this campaign. SAIN has welcomed these developments and encourages everyone to get involved in whatever way they can. (Please contact SAIN for details)

Meanwhile SAIN are still active in Slough. Since the victory achieved in ousting the Labour Slough Borough Council in June, SAIN have been pressing for the council to investigate the potential for revoking the planning consent issued to Grundon. We are pleased to say that Slough Borough Council have engaged legal advice to achieve this end and SAIN will continue to follow and aid this process.

For more details or to join the fight please contact SAIN at mail4.sain@virgin.net. Or alternatively please ring Stuart on 01628 662774. For more in depth information and updates please see the campaign at www.sainslough.co.uk.

Background notes:
Slough Borough Council issued planning consent in June 2000 for Grundon Waste Management Ltd to build two new waste incinerators at their site in Colnbrook near Hillingdon. The first would be a 440,000 tonne per year municipal waste incinerator (the second largest in Europe) and the second would be clincal waste incinerator, burning 17,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and radioactive clinical, military and GMO waste. The Environment Agency issued a license to operate in 2003.

25 local GP's spoke out against this plan early in 2004, and Slough Anti-Incinerator Network (SAIN) formed to fight the proposal. The major concerns about this plan are health related as studies show links between incinerators and huge increases in cancers, heart disease, respiritory problems and foetal/reproductive problems. The claim from the industry that new incinerators are safe is based entirely upon guesswork as no long term studies have yet been carried out on these plants. The population is essentially being used as an experiment. Environmental concerns are also paramount as incineration releases climate changing gas as well as detracting from globally necessary efforts at waste minimisation and recycling.