Emissions from a mass-burn incinerator at Capel become a major concern for those living within 16 miles due north, north-east and east of the site

The Cause for Concern

Capel Action Group has been made aware of studies which link high infant mortality rates in locations that are downwind of a mass-burn incinerator.

Studies¹ undertaken by Michael Ryan of UK Health Research² demonstrate how high incidences of infant deaths coincide with the close proximity to populations of power stations and incinerators. Three of the locations studied were at Kirklees, Coventry and in Edmonton , north London . In each location incinerators are operated by SITA UK Limited, who are the owners of Surrey Waste Management Limited, the company that has submitted a planning application for a mass-burn incinerator at the Clockhouse Brickworks site in Capel.

The three studies mapped the incidence of infant death rates in relation to the siting of incinerators and the direction of prevailing winds. Results for 2003 –2005 were:

(Click the city to see map)

In its Kirklees brochure SITA refers to its 2002 incinerator as a “state of the art EfW facility, which operates under the European Waste Incineration Directive”. Yet infant deaths downwind at Kirklees are reported to be almost as high as in Edmonton , where SITA has been operating an incinerator since 1971.

CAG has long argued that newer generation incinerators would continue to be unsafe because they emit highly toxic PM 2.5 particulates (fine particles), which cause serious heart and respiratory disease and are responsible for 9 out of 10 of all the deaths that can be attributed to air pollution in Europe. It is well understood in Europe how dangerous PM 2.5s are and legislation to reduce population exposure to them is now in process³.

The Consequences

If an incinerator were to be built and operated at the Clockhouse Brickworks site CAG has been advised that the infant mortality rate in Capel will not remain at zero, which it has been in each of the last four years. Furthermore in the light of the studies it can be confidently predicted that emissions from the incinerator will impact far beyond the confines of Capel village. The reasons for this are:

• Surrey Waste Management's intention that the incinerator proposed for Capel would have a stack height of 70 metres, in order that emissions can be spread far and wide.
  
• The advice CAG has received that emissions, which will include highly toxic PM 2.5 particulates, will travel up to 16 miles.
  
• The prevailing winds in Capel, which are south-westerly for up to 70% of the time.
  

As a result PM 2.5 particulates can be expected to reach over 117,000 people in the following towns for most of the time:

Click here for map

PM 2.5 particulates carried by south-westerly winds can also be expected regularly to reach a further population in excess of 32,000 in surrounding areas, including the following villages:

Beare Green, Betchworth, Blackbrook, Bletchingley, Brockham, Buckland, Charlwood, Godstone, The Holmwoods, Hookwood, Leigh, Newdigate, Norwood Hill, Outwood, Salfords, Smallfield, South Godstone , South Nutfield .

Gatwick Airport , some 6 miles from the site, has an annual throughput of c34m passengers and will be directly impacted.

Crawley (99,754 population), due east of the site, and Dorking (11,337 population), due north, will not be affected as regularly but will be exposed to PM 2.5 particulates in certain weather conditions.

Conclusions and Need for Action 

It has been long known that the proposed incinerator in Capel would regularly affect the local population of 3,600, but the information contained in this paper demonstrates that this is no longer solely a Capel issue. In practice the incinerator would impact much more widely with over 153,000 people being regularly exposed to PM 2.5 particulates, and a further 110,000 people being exposed in certain weather conditions. Also Gatwick Airport will be directly impacted.

This proposal must be defeated for the sake of existing and future generations.

We call on all residents in vulnerable areas to object now to County Councillors , District and Borough Councillors. We also encourage objections to members of Surrey County Council's Planning and Regulatory Committee, for it is they who will bear the ultimate responsibility, if collectively they vote in favour of an incinerator at the Clockhouse Brickworks site in Capel.

We intend holding a public meeting to further expose and discuss these issues. Details will be communicated through the local press and on the CAG website.

Capel Action Group

January 2008

¹ The studies analyse Office for National Statistics birth/mortality data at electoral ward level.

² http://www.ukhr.org/birthdefects/pressrelease.htm

³ T he European Commission is currently proposing tougher new air pollution laws and these are now moving through the EU decision-making process.  http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air The Commission proposes merging the current various legal instruments for air pollution into a single legislative Act for Air Quality in Europe . But most importantly this Act introduces for the first time legislation against particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres (PM 2.5s ), with a view to reducing population exposure to these particles by 20% between 2010 and 2020.  PM 2.5s cause serious heart and respiratory disease and are responsible for nine out of ten of all the deaths that can be attributed to air pollution in Europe . Similar results can be shown for North America . The Commission estimates that air pollution shortens average life expectancy in Europe by more than eight months.