UK waste incinerators are three times more likely to be in poorer areas, claims a report by Greenpeace. There are currently at least 90 incinerators in the UK and 50 more proposed or in development.
People living near incinerators complain of noise, litter, increased vehicle traffic, smells and air pollution.
This finding has frequently been discussed in the literature too. Kate Bower in Working Class Environmentalism writes about the same disproportionate places in more deprived areas:
‘This applies to waste incinerators, landfills, hazardous waste sites, legal and illegal’ (Martuzzi et al. 2010, p. 21). Those living closest to landfill are more likely to be socioeconomically deprived than those living further away (e.g. Wheeler 2004; Fairburn et al. 2009; Richardson et al. 2010). This can be either because these areas are chosen or because those who have more economic options, are able to move away when such builds take place near them (Richardson et al. 2010).
Wealthier people do not face the same externalities as others. They have the power to escape them.
The following account is illustrative of problems faced:
When the chemical companies have finished with the drums they send them to …. [recycling company] which is 55 yards from the children’s bedroom and they’ve got an incinerator stack there which they burn out the residues … I’ve grown up around the … area and a lot of people my age are dead and a lot of people my father’s age, my father died at 42 from a massive heart attack and stroke and lots of people are dying from heart attacks and strokes. Lots of people are getting brain tumours, lots of people are getting kidney disease … and you know, we’ve got high instances of birth defects, we’ve got major issues with asthma, eczema etc., from a lot of the stacks that are … are belching out. (Paul)
The following is also indicative of conditions in Avonmouth:
A local community group Facebook page contains numerous posts from residents who are disturbed and stressed by the frequent sound of metal being broken up, including occasional explosions. Paul described the impact of this:
sometimes you haven’t had any sleep for four or five days because [the noise is] above World Health Organisation levels and you’re trying to not kill your children, make sure they get to school, make sure they come back from school, feed them, do your work in between … It’s quite hard to do and it does stress you out. There are times where you are completely stressed. (Paul)
At the time of publication, 2020, there were two incinerators in Bristol and one about to be built.
The potential incinerator is proposed right opposite a site near a travellers encampment.
The current ones are the Suez Severnside Energy Recycling Centre and the medical health waste incinerator. I've been given the tour around there and have seen how close to houses, the smells, sounds and pollution are. There's Viridor too, and Veolia, Sims metals.
These reports are not about far away places. They are about our communities and our fellow residents.
Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it’ll be the Severn Sirens warning of danger from nearby industry.
Go in, stay in, tune in.
References
Martuzzi, M., Mitis, F., and Forastiere, F. (2010) Inequalities, inequities, environmental justice in waste management and health. European Journal of Public Health, 20(1): 21-26.
Fairburn, J., Butler, B., and Smith, G. (2009) Environmental justice in South Yorkshire: Locating social deprivation and poor environments using multiple indicators. Local Environment, 14(2): 139–154.
Richardson, E., Shortt, N., and Mitchell, R. (2010) The mechanism behind environmental inequality in Scotland: which came first, the deprivation or the landfill? Environment and Planning A, 42: 223–240.
Wheeler, B. (2004) Health-related environmental indices and environmental equity in England and Wales. Environment and Planning A, 36(5): 803–822.
Kind regards Paul
That for Sharing Johanna Much appreciated very informative