More than twice the number of people that attended last years march against incineration on Portland showed up on Saturday 16 October with over 650 people, young and old, making an even stronger stand against the proposal at Portland Port.
The clouds broke and the sun shone on the gathering on the green where the lead campaigner of the Stop Portland Waste Incinerator stood on stage, initially overwhelmed by the numbers that had turned up to show their support.
“This is just so important”, Paula Klaentschi, expressed through tears before thanking a long list of respected organisations for objecting to the applications.
Paula made clear that incineration is not good for people’s health, the environment, our area of outstanding beauty or our economy.
And said, “the south west already has a surplus in waste incineration and a new plant is opening at Bridgewater. The 15mw of power offered could come from the national grid supplied by ONE wind turbine. No lorries, no emissions, no toxic bottom ash, no using 56,000,000 litres of clean water every year, no importing waste by cargo ships from unconstrained locations.”
Brother Alasdair Kay, the reverend at All Saints was next on stage and he delivered a powerful and important message, communicating the threat we face due to the climate crisis.
Portland Town Councillor, Giovanna Lewis spoke of the need to stand up for the poor people who will be worst affected by this incinerator, the ones that can not afford to move away.
“Like many others, I’m concerned for people’s health. There is no commercially available filter for incinerators that is capable of removing all the nasty gases and particulates, particularly the fine particulates, which go straight into the blood stream when breathed in. As an area of high deprivation, many on Portland with ill health, or little children, will have no choice but to put up with this risk – they don’t have the money to move away, and/or change their lives. And why should they?”
Olympic sailor, Laura Baldwin organised the march through the community group, Portland 4 the Planet that she co-founded. Speaking on stage as a concerned mother living on the hill behind the proposed site and pretty much at the height the 80m chimney stops, Laura drew the crowds attention to look on the hill where two people let off non-toxic smoke flares to give a visual to show the height the chimney will stop (nb// they were 13m higher due to homes being at 80m). This showed the smoke lingering for quite some time as it slowly dispersed in the light southerly wind.
Baldwin shared some of the many reasons why an incinerator at this specific location was a bad idea. Starting with it backing onto the steep residential hill with homes and the prison above chimney height. An area prone to mist, fog and cap clouds that would hold the toxic particulates at ground level, polluting the air we breath and the land we grow food in. The one regularly congested road on and off the island. The rare and delicate ecology with calcareous grasslands and Lichens that are sensitive to pollution. And the need to protect our marine life. The visual impact with the site being expose and highly visible, detracting from tourism and sport events appeal.
Laura went onto share the reasons why incineration is bad in general having joined a national campaign calling on the government to ban all new waste incinerators and phase out existing ones in place of a circular economy within which waste is manufactured out of production opting for waste avoidance, re-use, repair, recycling and composting.
“I have some good news, Wales has declared a ban on any new waste incinerators! Scotland is seriously considering following suit. Denmark is phasing them out.”
“Dorset Council’s stated aim is to shift to a circular economy and for the Council itself to be zero waste by 2040. Let’s give a shout out to Dorset Waste Partnership for the very good service they provide.”
A gentleman called, Rocky, who recently moved to Weymouth to escape the pollution from a waste incinerator in Swindon described what it is like to live near by, “it was noisy and the smell was disgusting, the air smelt and tasted toxic. I was travelling away on and off for work at the time and could notice a huge difference when ever I was away my headaches and breathing difficulties went away. I decided to move here to live in an area with clean air so when I saw the poster advertising this march I felt I had to be here. I couldn’t believe that having moved specifically to get away from one of these that another one could open here. It really should not be allowed to happen.”
Portland 4 the Planet on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1016423688747580/
Stop Portland Waste Incinerator on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/stopportlandwasteincinerator/
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