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County council says BRAINS wrong over incinerator costs
Buckinghamshire County Council has responded to claims by anti incinerator campaigners that the cost of incinerating rubbish will soar.
Bucks Residents Against Incinerators (BRAINS) claimed last week that the disposal of bottom ash from incinerators is now more expensive because more of it is classed as hazardous.
But Martin Dickman, BCC's waste service manager said this week: "Since the incidence of hazardous substances in the material is so low, the impact on our costs will be equally low because only a minimum is likely to be landfilled as hazardous. Most bottom ash is reprocessed as aggregate and sold on to the construction industry, which could work in our favour financially, depending on the final contract terms."
The Advertiser is happy to clarify that BCC has not made a final decision over whether an incinerator is to be built, that a location has not been confirmed and that no contract has been awarded. A BCC spokesman said one of two preferred bidders is likely to be selected on July 13. Veolia is not a preferred bidder.
An Environment Agency spokesman explained zinc oxide has been reclassified as ecotoxic, so if bottom ash contains zinc oxide, it is now hazardous. It has been added to a list of other substances that render bottom ash hazardous.
If bottom ash is not hazardous it can be sold as an aggregate. If it is hazardous it must be disposed of at a specialist site.
Fees to dispose of hazardous waste are higher. In addition taxes rise from from £2.50 per tonne for material HM Revenue and Customs considers inert to £40 per tonne for material it considers hazardous. Most bottom ash is non-hazardous, he said.
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The sooner they get on with building this incinerator, the better as far as I am concerned. It will give certain residents who have nothing better to do with their lives other than whinge and whine, an excuse to getting back to work and getting an aforementioned life!! Honestly, all this fuss over a glorified bonfire.....anyone would think that they were building a Nuclear plant....
The incinerator in Kent has been broke for most of 2008. The council has saved £2.2million due to the breakdown and another £2m due to there being less waste than expected. The PFI incinerators are so cost and have contracts that lead to councils reducing recycling efforts.
"Most bottom ash is non-hazardous, he (BCC representative) said."
As the famous Mandy Rice-Davies once replied; "Well, they would say that, wouldn't they?"
Is BCC going to analyse the bottom ash constantly to separate out the toxic from the merely offensive? No, of course not!
Hopefully it will all blow downwind towards High Wycombe....it's not like anyone will miss it's inhabitants now, is it?