Sheffield incinerator: climbers on the chimney

Three Greenpeace volunteers have been given a conditional discharge at Hull Crown Court. The three were also ordered to pay compensation each for their part in an action to close Sheffield incinerator after it was identified as the worst incinerator in England, breaking its legal pollution limits 156 times in two years.

The three had been acquitted of criminal damage by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court on the 2nd December for painting the words 'toxic crime' on the plant's chimney but convicted of a second charge of criminal damage to a door at the base of the chimney. The verdicts followed a direction to the jury from the judge Mr Justice Bentley that deprived the volunteers of their defence of taking action to stop the plant committing the crime of breaking pollution laws The defendants are still considering appealing against the judges' summing up.

Rachel Murray one of the three volunteers who occupied the 75-metre incinerator chimney for three days in May 2001 said,
"We still believe what we did was right and we wouldn't have done anything differently. We are proud to have shut down the plant, if only for a short time and stopped it churning out poisonous gases over the people of Sheffield. Lots of people in Sheffield have supported us and have continued the fight to stop this incinerator from polluting the city."

The three Greenpeace volunteers are Rachel Murray 29, from Glasgow, Huw Williams 35, from Buxton and Chris Holden, 25, from Northamptonshire.

Notes to editors:
The three volunteers were also ordered to pay costs towards the prosecution's legal case.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255

Greenpeace protesters arrested for painting 'toxic crime' on Sheffield incinerator chimney are acquitted

Three Greenpeace volunteers were today (2nd December 2002) acquitted of criminal damage for painting the words 'toxic crime' on the chimney of Sheffield incinerator. The jury convicted the three of a second charge of criminal damage to a door at the base of the chimney. The verdicts followed a direction to the jury from the judge Mr Justice Bentley, which deprived the volunteers of their defence. The defendants are considering appealing against the judges' summing up.

The volunteers had gone on trial on the 26th November at Sheffield Crown Court for shutting down the Sheffield Waste Incinerator on 22nd May 2001 after it was identified as the worst incinerator in England. The volunteers scaled the 75-metre chimney and capped its flues as part of a Greenpeace action to close the plant. The three also painted 'Toxic Crime' on the chimney to alert the local population to the dangers the incinerator posed.

The Bernard Road plant had exceeded its legal pollution limits 156 times in just two years and discharged tonnes of toxic chemicals on to the people of Sheffield. One month after Greenpeace shut down the incinerator, Onyx who took over the running of Sheffield waste services from the council announced they planned to close it.

During the trial, prosecution witness James Timmington, the assistant manager of the plant at the time of the occupation, told the jury that the incinerator had regularly breached its pollution limits and had been prosecuted and fined for failing to comply with an enforcement notice. He also told the jury that Sheffield incinerator emitted a "toxic cocktail of chemicals".

The three defendants Rachel Murray, Huw Williams and Chris Holden all admitted their part in shutting down the plant but pleaded not guilty on the grounds that they were stopping the plant committing crimes against the people of Sheffield.

Rachel Murray one of the defendants said,

"We are delighted by the acquittal. We are glad we were able to stop this plant churning out poisonous chemicals if only for a few days and that some Sheffield residents were able to open their windows for the first time in years.

"We know that burning rubbish gives off poisons that cause cancers, heart disease and breathing problems. Across the country thousands of local people are fighting against plans to build new plants. Greenpeace will continue to do everything we can to stop new incinerators being built here and across Britain."

People living near incinerators risk exposure to a range of toxic chemicals by breathing contaminated air or by eating contaminated produce like vegetables, eggs and milk, or by skin contact with contaminated soil. One of the most dangerous by-products of burning rubbish are dioxins. The World Health Organisation has said that dioxins are highly carcinogenic and the UK government has warned that half of Britain's babies and toddlers are already taking in more dioxins than is safe.

Numerous studies confirm that a typical incinerator releases a cocktail of known toxic chemicals, including dioxins, lead, cadmium, mercury and fine particles, into the atmosphere. There have been several studies showing increased incidences of cancers and heart disease amongst people living near to or working in incinerators. Recent medical research published in The Lancet showed that toxic fumes from incinerators could be having alarming effects on the sexual development of children.

Sheffield incinerator: climbers on the roof shut down Englands worst incinerator

The jury trial of three Greenpeace volunteers who scaled the 75-metre chimney of Sheffield rubbish incinerator and shut down its operations for three days began on Tuesday 26th November at Sheffield Crown Court.

The volunteers took part in a Greenpeace action on the 22nd May 2001 to close the Bernard Road plant, after it was identified as the worst incinerator in England. It had exceeded its legal pollution limits 156 times in just two years and discharged tonnes of toxic chemicals on to the people of Sheffield.

All three defendants now face charges of criminal damage. The defendants are:

Rachel Murray 29, from Glasgow
Huw Williams 35, from Buxton
Chris Holden, 25, from Northamptonshire

Sheffield incinerator: toxic crime scene

An analysis of votes cast in the local elections in Sheffield on May 2nd reveals that opposition to a new incinerator in the city may have swung two key wards from the Liberal Democrats to Labour. The swing resulted in the Liberal Democrats losing control of the city - a stark contrast to the situation in Hull where the Liberal Democrats were opposed to incineration and enjoyed massive electoral success. The poll analysis was conducted by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace and is attached.

Commenting on the poll analysis, Mark Strutt, head of the incineration campaign at Greenpeace, said:

"It's very clear that the new incinerator at Bernard Rd was a significant factor in the Sheffield result. If the Sheffield Liberal Democrats had followed the line from their national office and opposed incineration they would still be in control of the city."

Mike Childs, head of the toxics campaign at Friends of the Earth, said:

"The proposal for an incinerator in Sheffield clearly influenced the outcome of the local elections. The Council clearly now has a duty to rethink its plans for a massive incinerator in Sheffield. People in Sheffield don't want incineration and certainly don't want to be the dustbin for the rest of South Yorkshire. There are other options and we hope the Council will begin to look at these seriously."

Poll analysis
Sheffield local election results - May 2002

Until 2 May 2002, the Liberal Democrats, who had more than half of the council seats, controlled Sheffield City Council. At the election, Labour took seven seats to become the largest party, through remained just short of an overall majority - the balance of seats is now Labour 43, Liberal Democrat 42 and Conservative 2.

There are good reasons for believing that the Liberal Democrats' support for a new waste incinerator at Bernard Rd in Sheffield cost them votes at the election. It may even have cost them control of the council. The evidence is set out below.

The Green vote
The Green Party stood in 13 wards, mostly in central and south Sheffield, and used their opposition to the new Bernard Rd incinerator as a central plank of their campaign. An anti-incinerator candidate also stood in the Beauchief ward. Green candidates gained between 2.5% of the votes cast (in Dore) and 17% (in Netherthorpe). On average, their candidates gained 8% of the votes cast - twice as many as previously. The anti-incinerator candidate gained 4% of the vote - despite standing only as an independent, and therefore not being identifiable as "anti-incinerator" on the ballot paper. See the spread of votes for green or anti-incinerator candidates here.

The doubling in the Green vote in Sheffield also needs to be seen in the context of falling Green votes across the country as a whole. The Green's lost councillors overall, including 5 in Oxford, and 2 in Hackney.


Key seats analysis
The Lib Dems lost 5 seats to Labour in the election. Labour also gained one vacant seat, and one from a retiring independent councillor. Had the Liberal Democrats held onto just one of the seats they lost to Labour, they would have had more councillors than Labour but been just short of an overall majority on the council. Holding onto two seats would have left them retaining overall control. The wards that changed hands are below.

Further information:
Contact:
The Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255 or
Friends of the Earth press office on 020 7566 1694

11 Greenpeace volunteers ended their occupation of Sheffield incinerator after protecting the people of the city from polluting gases for 3 days

Offer to pay for Sheffield waste plan rebuffed by Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats were dragged into a national row over incineration today because of Sheffield City Council's determination to build a new waste burner. The national Lib Dems have been branded as hypocrites and electoral opportunists by both Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace after the party tried to face in both directions on the controversial issue of burning rubbish. The national Lib Dems claim to be in favour of a moratorium on the building of new incinerators but in fact the Lib Dem controlled Sheffield City Council is trying to construct a massive waste burner against fierce local opposition.

To make matters worse, the Lib Dems have frequently crowed over their victory at the Guildford by-election which was largely won on the basis of the Lib Dem candidate's opposition to a proposed incineration scheme. Malcolm Bruce, the Lib Dem environment spokesman, has previously said that: "If the Government need any proof of the potency of incineration as a political issue, it is provided by my hon. Friend the member for Guildford (Sue Doughty). Guildford has a Liberal Democrat Member mainly because of the strength of feeling against the incinerator that is being proposed for the area." [Malcolm Bruce, MP, House of Commons, 11/12/01]

Stephen Tindale, Executive Director of Greenpeace, said:
"The Liberal Democrats don't seem to have any principles when it comes to waste management and will say anything they think gains them electoral advantage. Their call for a moratorium on incineration is a hollow sham. It's simply unacceptable for the Lib Dems to lecture other political parties on the environment and then fail to apply those principles in places which they actually control."

Charles Secrett, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, said:
"The choice between incinerators or recycling in Sheffield is a litmus test of the Lib Dems' environmental and community commitments. It is the height of hypocrisy to have pro-recycling and anti-incineration policies, but then do the opposite in councils which they actually control."

Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace wrote to Charles Kennedy, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, asking that his party resolve its confusion over environmental policy but with no effect. Kennedy refused to ask Sheffield Lib Dems to fall into line with national policy and remains unapologetic. FOE and Greenpeace have also offered to pay for national waste experts to develop an alternative waste strategy for Sheffield which would avoid incineration without increasing the cost to ratepayers. This offer has also been in effect rebuffed.

Notes for editors:
1. The current Lib Dem national policy on incineration is to implement a moratorium on the building of new waste incinerators. For instance, Malcolm Bruce MP, the Lib Dem environment spokesman, has said that:
"Four simple steps would go a long way to bringing waste removal into harmony with the environment. A National Recycling Programme must be sustained, while tougher action is needed on reducing the actual amount of waste produced. If landfill tax was reformed and a moratorium called on all new incinerators, Britain would be well on the way to joining the ranks of green European nations." [Lib Dem press release 21/11/01].

"In reality, the danger is that even accommodating incineration will destroy the beginnings of a real waste reduction strategy. A moratorium on new incinerators would be thus constructive for that reason" [Malcolm Bruce, MP, House of Commons, 11/12/01]

2. Sheffield City Council has been controlled by the Lib Dems for some years. The council has recently signed a contract with the French multi-national Onyx to build a new incinerator in the heart of Sheffield which will burn at least two thirds of the city's rubbish. The proposals are being opposed by a broad alliance of local people.

3. Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace wrote to Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy offering to pay for a new study of Sheffield's waste problems by Britain's leading waste management experts. The intention was that a new strategy would be drawn up that would meet all of Sheffield's legal requirements while avoiding incineration and not increasing the overall cost to rate payers. The one condition made by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace for this work to go ahead was that the Council did not proceed any further with the incinerator project until the study was completed.

The Lib Dems have rebuffed this offer and suggested that Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace contribute to a 'consultation' exercise being undertaken by the council. The following points are salient:

1. the consultation exercise was launched AFTER the contract was signed for a new incinerator and has no bearing on whether Sheffield burns its rubbish or not
2. several key officers of the council have not even attended the consultation exercise
3. Greenpeace have already attempted to contribute to the exercise but given up because it is clear that it is not being take seriously by the council and will generate no useful output.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255

Sheffield incinerator: climbers on the roof shut down Englands worst incinerator

Three Greenpeace volunteers today pleaded not guilty in Sheffield Crown Court to charges of criminal damage over the occupation of Sheffield waste incinerator in May 2001. There will be a further hearing on May 17th to set a date for jury trial

The Greenpeace volunteers occupied the 75-metre chimney of the Bernard Road incinerator and rubbish tipping hall for three days in May (from 22nd to 24th) after a report identified the plant as the worst in England. The Greenpeace report revealed that the plant had exceeded legal pollution limits 156 times in the past two years and discharged tonnes of toxic chemicals on to the people of Sheffield [1]. Onyx UK, which has taken over the running of waste management services from Sheffield City Council have agreed to close the plant.

All incinerators release a toxic cocktail of chemicals that can cause cancers, heart disease and breathing illnesses. Sheffield incinerator has been the centre of controversy for many years with constant technical problems and a prosecution by the Environment Agency in 1999 for persistent pollution offences. The plant releases hundreds of tonnes of toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides on to the surrounding area as well as quantities of toxic metals such as cadmium and mercury, fine particles and a group of highly toxic chemicals called dioxins.

Editor's notes:
The three volunteers are Huw Williams, 34 from Buxton, Rachel Murray 28, from Glasgow, Chris Holden, 24 from London

[1] Incineration: Criminal Damage. A Review of Compliance by English Municipal Waste Incinerators with Legal Pollution Standards for 1999 and 2000.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office: 020 7865 8255