Living next to the UK’s largest waste incinerator in Runcorn, Cheshire, has been an “horrendous” experience according to Mandy Royle. The facility burns almost one million tonnes of household waste annually with much of this waste coming from other regions. Residents living in areas of deprivation, such as Runcorn, are 10 times more likely to have incinerators nearby than those in wealthy areas. 180 families in the area shared a £1m settlement to compensate them for noise and odour pollution caused by the plant. The majority signed a gagging order as part of the deal, but some, including Royle, refused to do so.
Viridor, which runs the Runcorn plant, said it would not comment on the settlement or on the non-disclosure agreement adding that noise and odour remained within permitted levels.
The number of UK incinerators has boomed over the past decade, with local councils struggling to bear the costs of burying waste in landfill sites. However, this has come at a significant environmental cost. Not only do incinerators produce as much carbon per unit of energy as coal plants, but there are also concerns that they have been placed in vulnerable areas, amid claims that they produce more noise and odour and lower local house prices.
Furthermore, there are health concerns due to breaches in air quality controls at incinerators. Analysis shows that these breaches have increased both at Runcorn and across incinerators in England in recent years and that emissions of toxic gases are jeopardising people’s health. Much of the country’s household waste, including that produced far from the incinerator, is being moved around the country by road and rail creating further pollution.
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