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Greenpeace Closes Down Auckland Incinerator
New Zealand
Greenpeace Closes Down Auckland Incinerator
June 17 Auckland: Greenpeace New Zealand initiated a
global day of action against incineration by shutting down
Waste Resources Limited’s Auckland waste incinerator in the
early hours of this morning.
Three activists
scaled the chimney and placed a cap on the stack to prevent
the incinerator firing up, before locking themselves to the
chimney.
“This incinerator is poisoning people and
the environment with dioxin, one of the most toxic
chemicals known. Dioxin causes cancer, birth defects,
diabetes and infertility,”(1) said Sue Connor, Greenpeace
Toxics Campaigner.
“Waste incineration is
unnecessary because there are alternative ways to treat
waste. Steam sterilisation is used in Auckland and
Wellington”.(2)
“The Waste Resources incinerator has
also been breaching its resource consent for dioxin
pollution for two years, yet they’ve been allowed to get
away with it”.
“The New Zealand Government is
proposing a regulation which gives the green light to
incineration,” said Connor. “This is a real concern because
of the inherit danger of dioxin.
“Building
incinerators will further undermine our clean green image,
which New Zealand’s agricultural sector relies on
internationally”.
“Governments know incinerators
release dioxins but, instead of instigating action plans to
tackle the problem at source, they are still promoting
incineration around the world as a solution to the waste
crisis. Under the Stockholm Convention which New Zealand is
a signatory to, they have an obligation to prioritise
alternative approaches to waste management. To continue
promoting incineration while agreeing to eliminate
persistent organic pollutants, is sheer hypocrisy,” said
Connor.
The international protests took place as
world leaders convened in Geneva for the first time since
agreeing persistent poisons must be eliminated under the
Stockholm Convention. However, they are still promoting
industries that release them into the environment. The
Treaty identifies all waste incinerators as a primary
source of PCBs, furans and cancer causing dioxin.
Greenpeace New Zealand joined 126 community groups and
environmental organisations spanning 54 countries today (3),
to call on governments and industry to stop burning waste
and to start recycling it.
For more information: Sue Connor, campaigner on 021 272 4044, Brendan Lynch communications officer on 021 790 817.
ONGOING UPDATES
ONLINE - http://www.greenpeace.org.nz
IMAGES / VIDEO / AUDIO Information on how to obtain images, video footage and audio clips is available at: http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/press
For more information on today's international actions, see: http://www.greenpeace.au http://www.no-burn.org
Notes to editors:
(1) The chemicals released
from incinerators cause a variety of health problems;
immune and reproductive system defects, spontaneous
abortions, respiratory diseases, diabetes, hormone
disruption and cancers. In May 2001, Greenpeace published
‘Incineration and Human Health’, a comprehensive review of
all available scientific data on the impacts of
incineration on human health and the effects of specific
chemicals discharged from incinerators. see:
http://www.greenpeace.org.au
(2) Buenos Aires in
Argentina has banned medical waste incineration; Ireland
has closed all medical waste incinerators in 1999; the
Phillipines has banned waste incineration.
(3)
Greenpeace is a member of GAIA - Global Anti-Incinerator
Alliance or Global Alliance – formed when the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants was adopted in
May 2001. It consists of 265 public interest groups from 55
countries.
Greenpeace
Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.
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