Why are environmentalists and campaigners against more incinerators?
They say incineration encourages more waste because incinerator operators need to have a constant level of waste to keep the fires burning. To meet this demand, campaigners say, local authorities abandon recycling and waste reduction plans. However, government figures show that recycling and composting of waste increased in 2003/04 by 3.3% to 19%. Campaigners are also concerned about pollution from the smoke and ash, which they say is a health risk to local residents. Q. What are the possible health risks? The main concern surrounds pollutants found in the ash left in the incinerator and emitted from the chimney. These include dioxins, acid gases, nitrogen oxide, heavy metals and particulates. It is the dioxins contained in the gases from the chimneys that attract most concern because they are suspected of causing cancer. The Environment Agency in England and Wales, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency regulate and closely monitor the emissions from incinerators. The introduc
