Dust clue to incinerator's spread
THE report about the "Saharan sand" published on Friday, June 29 is interesting and demonstrates rather spectacularly to us all in the South West how far airborne pollutants might travel, if released into the atmosphere.
The Herald reported on the pale pinkish dust deposited on cars and windowsills across the whole Plymouth area on Wednesday and Thursday, June 27 and 28.
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DUSTY: Jodie Lee (sales administrator at Ocean Mini) next to one of the many minis which were covered in a layer of Sahara dust
The material intermittently arrives from the European mainland and, as on this occasion, from North Africa, 2,000 miles away.
These particles are large enough to see, gritty and relatively dense. If visible, particles this large can travel this distance on air currents, ultra fine particles a thousand times smaller, invisible to the unaided eye, will travel at least as easily when ejected into the atmosphere from a furnace chimney to a height of 500 feet.
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The foreign dust is a nuisance and perhaps a health hazard to us for short periods a few times a year, at worst. The planned Plymouth incinerator will continuously release up to 40kg of finer dust per day, as well as acidic gases, into our atmosphere (and that of South West Devon) for the next 25 to 40 years (24/7), under the permit issued by the Environment Agency.
MVV Environment Devonport Ltd, theMOD, city planning officers and the city's previous Conservative leadership would have us all believe the incinerator emissions will only have a limited range and localised impact, assuring most Plymouth districts that they are clear of any impact from the planned development. This is untrue, as these natural dust fallout events clearly demonstrate.
SEAN C M O'HARA
Plymouth
Comments
by Magical123
Thursday, July 05 2012, 3:25PM
“Battle LOST in Newhaven, latest on Incineration debate :
http://tinyurl.com/c2kmp3a”
by niugnepyzarc
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 11:02PM
“jabbathebutt ah so one band of people standing up for there rights is ok but another isnt? I call hypocritical on that jabba, You either belive in peoples right to protest or you dont you cant have it both ways and you cant pick and choose based on if you aggree with there cause or not, a right is a right for all.”
by jabbathebutt
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 10:56PM
“@ niugnepyzarc... good lord ... the lefties are putting their head up a little bit after all the embarrasing and traitorous failures they have tried to deny . You confuse the left wings denial of people to say how their country is run with the rights of their children even in health matters "comrad".”
by niugnepyzarc
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 10:44PM
“hmm if I recall jabba everytime people have tried to `fight for there rights` over the last year or so you and your right wing mates have labled them as a load of smelly leftys and slandered them......could it be when you say `fight for your rights` you mean `fight for your rights.....as long as i aggree with you`.....haha I still remember your comments on the occupy protests.”
by jabbathebutt
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 10:36PM
“Apart from the fact that the ones who will make money from this project are proclaiming that it is better than fresh air and that we should all be gratefull it is being done .
And the ones that are doing this right now ,will in 40 years be living on a fat pension and saying a not very honest sorry for the disease and cancers that they have " accidently" inflicted on people .
When has the view of the public ever took precedence over money makers and the funny handshake brigade ?
But you wont fight for your rights .... it interferes with your soaps and x faxtor .”
by jabbathebutt
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 10:27PM
“As long as it goes up into the air and lands on somewhere like scotland or cornwall or france and misses efford, I dont care .”
by jessica91
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 9:47PM
“@ irene61
"plain scaremongering - there would have been more pollution from the Red Arrows last Saturday but is anyone complaining?"
Red Arrows 10 mins v incinerator 40 years no comparison....”
by Stelen55
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 7:37PM
“if you care about anyone else at all ever then you will be against incineration! the particles travel world wide and are damaging to health
http://tinyurl.com/cowupr8”
by itar5127
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 3:49PM
“40Kg is about the amount of asbestos dust inhaled by the now thousands of mesothelioma sufferers and their spouses, so it takes very little to have a big effect.”
by RoundHead0
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 1:32PM
“Like PaintaDecor8r I fail to see why the first four commenters either don't understand the very clear point raised in this letter or are so negative and cynical towards it. Perhaps they have interest in the incinerator project progressing or maybe they like to live in blissful ignorance.
Dust from the Sahara arrives ONLY once or twice a year and aside from being a nuisance has the potential to impact on health and wellbeing of some individuals; but because it is NATURAL we can do nothing to stop it arriving and we have to put up with it.
The pollutants released from a waste burning incinerator are UNNATURAL and will be depositing all over Plymouth, South Hams, South West Devon, Torbay, Torpoint, South East Cornwall and much further beyond EVERY DAY for the operating period of 40 YEARS. The incinerator emissions WILL consist of particles of a much finer (smaller) size than sand, thus being more easily absorbed into the blood stream and tissues of ALL living organisms that come into contact with them (i.e. EVERYONE in Plymouth and the surrounding area). They are not as inert as sand. These particles will consist of chemicals that are universally harmful to health such as heavy metal vapours (e.g. lead, mercury) and nitrogen and sulphur oxides amongst many others found in mixed/ unsorted materials.
Recently (June 2012) Trinity College Dublin and the Health Effects Laboratory Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (Morgantown, WV, USA) carried out studies into nanoparticle pollution in air concluding that they DO (not might, maybe or could do) have a serious health impact – see http://tinyurl.com/7hrgpwz
Also the World Health Organisation stated (June 2012) that diesel emissions DO cause cancer (not might, maybe or could do) – see http://tinyurl.com/cf8fa3f
With and extra 264 HGV movement a day (that's an increase in 53% of HGV traffic alone - see the official regulation 19 transport assessment provided with the planning application) through the city, that is an added health impact; especially on the most vulnerable of our local society, our children and our elderly ( these extra lorries will sit running idle and emitting carcinogens right next to the open playing field of Weston Mill Primary School as well as an open air children's playground directly opposite and residential housing).
No scaremongering here, just simply facts from actual scientific research (not ill-informed blind opinion from those who deny any argument against incineration).”