PRESS RELEASE – 3rd December 2019
Community R4C asks political candidates to vote on Javelin Park incinerator
The campaign group Community R4C have written to all of Gloucestershire’s prospective parliamentary candidates to ask their position on the Javelin Park waste incinerator. The letter asks each candidate if they’re in support, against or unconcerned.
The community group, which has seen support from Extinction Rebellion, Friends of the Earth and local Stroud business Bailey Paints, say:
“Given that we are living in a time of climate crisis, we would like you to let us know whether or not you support the wholesale burning of plastics, paper, and valuable metals that could otherwise be recycled”
“Over its 25 year contract life, Javelin Park will emit the net equivalent of 1M tonnes of carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere, when this could be prevented by managing waste properly. Better waste management and a well-designed pre-treatment plant could not only preserve precious resources but also completely eliminate the net carbon emission, even acting as ‘carbon sink’ by replacing the burning of fossil fuels and plastics with waste derived biomass.”
The letter says that controversy over the £650 million incinerator contract has bred mistrust between Gloucestershire County Council and the county’s citizens.
“In 2013, over 4000 people from the Stroud constituency wrote to Gloucestershire County Council objecting to the Javelin Park incinerator. Even the GCC’s own planning committee unanimously rejected the plans – yet still the incinerator was built. This is a clear breach of trust between local government and local taxpayers.”
The letter ends by asking candidates to respond by email to CR4C with their stance on the incinerator. The results will be published on CR4C’s website before polling day.