Incinerator at La Chaumiere!

• Sunday, June 7, 2009, 22:19
• Peace Diary
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2 Comments on “Incinerator at La Chaumiere!”

• 
  Keith Wilson wrote on 10 June, 2009, 17:44

  I read with great interest your various statements regarding the Mauritius proposal for incinerating waste. This is a total waste for the people and tax payers in Mauritius. Although the debate has centred upon the poor environmental records of incineration (BURNING) of waste across the world – through the emisssions issue and in disposal of residual toxic ash etc. – the facts in Mauritius are that this procedure is unaffordable. It is the Tax Payers and not the Government who will be funding this project. Consider the proposal in its raw and basic figures. 1200 tonnes of waste per day is projected and this is made up of
  a] MSW in Mauritius, 1218 tonnes per day………………..or 444,570 tonnes per year. Garden Waste 43%…..at 55% water content .. =86,024 tonnes per year dry. Food Waste 25%…..at 84% water content… =17,783 tonnes per year dry.
  Paper Waste 12%…..at 13% water content… =46,413 tonnes per year dry.
  Ash Waste 30%….at 0% water content… =Cannot be burnt
  This gives a Total availability for incineration now is = 152,0220 tonnes. b] It is understood that this proposal will cost in excess of US$200 million at 2004 prices to build. But be wary of this, when the application of recent Environmental Legislation comes into place after 2017 this capital cost will need to be increased to accommodate the POPS and CO2 issues which will increase this by a further US$120 million.

  c] If this plabt was to be considered available for burning and the heat converted to electricity it would generate less than 18MW on a continuous basis [acording to the World Bank Guidelines] of which over a third would be needed to accomplish the burning. d] And then to ensure that the proposal is bankable to the contractor the Government (oh sorry the Tax Payer) will need to finance this and the only way for that is through increased levies on the disposal of waste by Taxes. So let’s be blunt with this the payers will be the Public and in these times of stringent constraints on the Budget that is a tall order. So is there another way? Yes there is and it is a simple one. This residual waste can be converted to a fuel for transport – ie Ethanol – easily and economically. Such a proposal would involve the expenditure of less than a half of the original budgetted costs, and because it is a wet process it would not create any toxic gases or toxic ashes, Further because the orocess creates a fuel Ethanol (which is already made in Mauritius from sugar cane) it could be attached to such a plant thus enhancing the ability of Mauritius to export more fuel Ethanol. As a proposal which I have seen offererd by genesyst for the Netherlands the UK the USA Canada India and Malaysia this has to be the way forward for Mauritius. Perhaps the best part of all is that such a plant would not need subsidising like that which the Government is contemplating in Mauritius and it would signal a real ‘’sea change” in moving forwards on an agenda of environmental change for the better of the Tax Paying public. Since the European Banks are already against financing such plants and the World Bank is equally moving away from such over-costly infrastructure developments that are so unecessary Go forwards Mauritius and get hold of this issue before it is too late and you are lumbered with this White Elephant of an Incineration PLant and a perpetual Mill Stobe of Costs around your neck.
• 
  Keith Wilson wrote on 11 June, 2009, 19:20

  Dear All: Perhaps I missed reporting on this one point at stake……..see this press item from UKWIN….

  Covanta charged with lawbreaking in the US
  Fri, May 22, 2009 at 7:09 am Posted in Campaign Updates, News, UK WIN
  U.S. Labour Board Issues Complaint against Covanta Energy and all U.S. Subsidiaries

  Braintree, Mass. – Utility Workers Union of America and its Local 369 announced today that the National Labor Relations Board in the U.S. issued a complaint this week charging Covanta Energy with violating labour law at 46 Covanta locations across the U.S.

  The complaint names the parent corporation and every Covanta subsidiary in the U.S., and challenges numerous illegal rules maintained by Covanta in its employee manuals.

  “The Board’s complaint confirms our charge that this company routinely violates employee rights guaranteed by U.S. labour law,” stated Gary P. Sullivan, President of UWUA Local 369. “We urge Covanta to immediately end its illegal conduct, and to negotiate a fair collective agreement for our members at the Covanta SEMASS plant in Massachusetts.”

  The U.S. government’s complaint cites numerous illegal Covanta policies, including rules restricting employee solicitations and distribution of literature, prohibiting employees from discussing their wages or other information the company claims to be “confidential,” and forbidding employees from providing information about Covanta to “outside representatives” without management’s permission. The complaint challenges rules in three different versions of Covanta’s employee manual.

  “Covanta has publicly claimed to have cleaned up these unlawful policies, but this complaint shows that every time the company has issued a new handbook, it has included patently illegal rules designed to intimidate employees from exercising their rights,” declared Sullivan.

  Workers at the Massachusetts facility voted for representation by UWUA in May 2008, but have been unable to win a first union contract because of unfair company bargaining demands. The Labour Board complaint and other information concerning the Union’s campaign for justice for Covanta workers is available at the Union’s website.

  Covanta operates waste incinerators and related facilities throughout the U.S., and is seeking to develop new projects in Canada, China, Ireland, the U.K., and the Netherlands.

  UWUA Local 369 represents over 3,000 working men and women in the utility industry throughout Massachusetts, and is affiliated with Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO.

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