Earlier this year, Covanta Energy Limited applied to the Environment Agency (EA) for an environmental permit to incinerate non-hazardous waste at its planned Rookery Pit Energy Recovery facility, near Stewartby. The company received planning permission for this facility in 2012, despite very strong local opposition.

Since then, the EA has released its draft permit decision for consultation. We have responded to this consultation as follows:

1. We are extremely disappointed that the EA has refused to conduct a detailed investigation and independent modelling into “temperature inversion” in the Marston Vale and the creation of pollution “smogs”. This despite there being very strong evidence that the phenomena had resulted in regular and severe episodes of air pollution locally during the time when the brickworks were in operation in the area.

2. The proposed permit does not encourage the applicant to separate waste streams and minimise the inclusion of recyclable material from the commercial waste it intends to “feed” the incinerator. We disagree fundamentally with this position.

Our full response to the consultation (Covanta Energy Limited EPR/WP3234DY/A001: Environmental permit draft decision) can be downloaded here.