BCAG Response to Draft EA Permit Decision
The Breathe Clean Air Group is not surprised that the Environment Agency has offered a first stage Environmental Permit to Barton Renewable Energy Plant, since they have not turned down any incinerator permit in recent years. This is not the final decision as consultations continue, and BCAG will scrutinise the EA’s reasons and challenge any points as necessary.
The Agency that has been set up to protect the public has failed yet again to offer protection from airborne contamination. In Port Talbot for instance, where an incinerator failed to keep within pollution limits, the Environment Agency changed the permit to allow higher pollution limits. Currently, the Health Protection Authority is undertaking studies around incinerators looking at infant mortality.
The Breathe Clean Air Group has identified and raised with the EA several loopholes in the legislation, which leave the public open to exposure, and health risks from these less than stringent measures, but these points have yet to be addressed. We are keen to work alongside the EA to improve these and we remain defiant that our local community will NOT be subjected to these blatant risks. The only way that we can see to avoid the risks is to stop the incinerator.
Regardless of the EA permit, the Breathe Clean Air Group and our community will still fight and win the planning application appeal.
I don’t know who if anyone has reads the ‘76153-Environmental+Statement+Appendix+4_1’ document, but someone can’t even add up! the score given to Barton is given as 21 when if you add it up its 22!
The document ‘76153-Environmental+Statement+Appendix+11_1’ has two major points. !
1. the site is underlain by a major Aquifer! (page8) and
2. the risk assessment ( section 7)on page 12 which basically says there is a High or moderate-high risk shown on 6/9 of the summary of environmental risks.