From Chris Newton, Director of Environment.
IN letters (JEP, 2 February) Mrs Lara Luke commented on the adequacy of the environmental assessment of the potential impact of the new energy-from-waste plant.
Her conclusions seem to have been drawn from reading a report by Ambios on the terrestrial ecology of the land around the footprint of the proposed plant. As this is predominantly made ground, it not surprisingly concluded that it has little ecological merit. However, it is important to test such assumptions.
The Ambios report is only a tiny part of the total environmental impact assessment. The full EIA is much wider in its scope, running to 19 chapters with 11 appendices, of which one is the Ambios report.
For instance, there is complete evaluation of the dispersion of emissions from the stack and the concentrations of ground-level pollutants.
The overwhelming picture is that the new plant will operate completely within the standards set by the EU waste incineration directive and in compliance with local water pollution and waste legislation. It will represent a major improvement on the current situation.
Planning and Environment department,
Howard Davis Farm,
Trinity.
