FRESH calls are being made today for the States to consider the health consequences of incineration. A new study will be released in the next few months which will seek to link fumes to infant deaths.
One of the men behind it, Michael Ryan, said Guernsey should take the issue seriously.
Public Services is currently working on tender documentation for a waste plant with all technologies able to bid.
Included in the study is mapping of the association between infant mortality rates and incinerators in Greater London Authority election wards.
‘It shows clearly the association,’ said Mr Ryan, a civil engineer. ‘Anyone arguing incinerators are safe will find it very hard to argue with this.’
The mapping shows rates rising west of incinerators, he said, in the direction of the prevailing wind.
He disputed arguments that the deaths were linked to poverty, pointing out that there were high levels in wealthy areas.
No one as far as he was aware had looked at these data sets before.
The most damaging particle emitted from incineration is known as PM 2.5, which is said to be particularly harmful to youngsters.
‘The thing is that lives are important. It beggars belief,’ said Mr Ryan.
‘In the UK they are not measuring these particles but ones that are bigger. They are not looking at the relevant data.’
Dr Dick van Steenis, a retired GP, helped with the study.
‘Around every single incinerator, infant mortality rates, asthma rates and autism rates are sky-high,’ he said.
‘That’s if you live under the smoke stream from the chimney. In areas nearby which don’t get the smoke, the death rate is either at the national average or lower.’
Mr Ryan’s son, Steve, 30, moved to Guernsey two years ago.
Mr Ryan Sr begun to study the data after two of his children died. He lives near a hospital incinerator in Shrewsbury.
In 1985, his 14-week-old daughter died, then in 1999 he lost his 19-year-old son to leukaemia,
Mr Ryan, 58, said they found out the hospital incinerator was burning radioactive waste. Others in the area also died from leukaemia.
‘It’s considered not nice to look at these things, but somebody should be looking at it. It seems so obvious,’ he added.
He backed plasma gasification technology for dealing with waste instead. That was being used in America.
‘In Guernsey you have the opportunity to do this.’
Mr Ryan is trying to publicise the research and has been contacting MPs and environmental groups.
But those in the industry have consistently rebutted health claims.
* For more on the research, go to www.ukhr.org.
Article posted on 12th May, 2007 - 12.00am
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