In June 2000, following an extremely limited and manipulated consultation, Slough Borough Council gave planning consent to an application by Grundon Waste Management to build two waste incinerators at Colnbrook near Slough. The first of these plants would be a 54 tonnes (per hour) municipal waste incinerator (or 'energy from waste' plant) burning all kinds of common waste from both residential and industrial sources. The second plant would consist of a 1.25 tonnes (per hour) clinical waste incinerator (to replace the one Grundons have been operating on the site for 12 years). According to the IPPC application submitted by Grundon to the EA (and granted in 2003), this plant will burn hazordous and radioactive waste including a proportion sourced from 'military' and 'GMO' usage.
Waste incineration is an extremely controversial process. Whilst Grundon, Slough Council and the EA claim the proposal in safe, there is significant evidence to the contrary. Various studies of waste incineration have found strong links between the plants and extremely severe health effects. When waste is burned it releases a deadly cocktail of chemicals ranging from huge quantities of Sulphar Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide, through heavy metals such as Cadmium and Mercury and on to various particulates. Of the later, only the larger PM10 particulates are measured and regulated in this country. The smaller and infinitely more dangerous PM2.5 and PM1 size particulates are not controlled. Studies of incineration plants have exposed serious increases in cancers, particularly child leukaemia, as well as large increases in asthma, heart disease, respiritory and reproductive problems. The addition to this cocktail of radioactive emmissions from the clinical waste incinerator, which could connect with tiny particulates to end up deep inside the body, makes for a very worrying picture.
Slough Anti-Incinerator Network (SAIN) formed early in 2004, after the Slough Express carried articles detailing objections by local GP's, as well as condemnation from international toxicology experts. Doctors estimate that the emmissions could cover an area 17 miles in radius, affecting the populations of town such as Slough, Langley, Iver, Hillingdon, Hayes and a large area of West London (roughly five million people in total).
Since February the group has raised awareness of the plans significantly, collecting roughly 5000 signitures to date and, on March 31st, attracted over 200 local people to a public meeting (making a mockery of council claims that consultation meetings were poorly attended...where were they advertised exactly?) where speakers included representatives of Friends of the Earth as well as local GP, Dr. Jerry Thompson. The meeting was a resounding success, with many people asking to become more involved in the campaign. Following this, the main group expanded to include new members and organised a well attended and noisey demonstration outside a full council meeting at Slough Town Hall on 27th April.
Well aware that the campaign is part of a much larger battle against waste incineration and environmentaly damaging procedures, the group have held meetings with and recieved endorsement from Green Party MEP for the South East, Caroline Lucas. Along with Ms. Lucas, SAIN are also increasingly working together with recently formed local coalitions of independant and Green Party council candidates, to oust the pro-business Labour council and their Tory counterparts in the upcoming June 10th elections.
However, as this coalition is growing momentum and publishes increasingly embarrassing information about dealings between Grundon and Slough Council (including a letter showing how Grundon used a form of legal 'bribery' known as a 106 agreement, giving Slough Borough Council £100,000 for a cycle path in return for the council 'being minded to grant planning consent'), there have been significant attempts to disrupt the groups activity. Labour Coucillor James Swindlehurst, who, as head of Environmental Services at Slough and a member of the Groundwork commitee, has a not unimportant part to play in this affair, has been quoted recently in the Slough and Langley Observer making completely unfounded allegations against the protesters. In an article dated Friday May 14th, he remarked, "there is a small group of protesters making a living out of this" to which SAIN will be responding with an official complaint. It is worth noting that Grundon recently offered another £10,000 to the Groundwork commitee for a childrens playground. Police have also been asked to investigate the disapearence of candidate papers for a Green Party member hoping to challenge James Swindlehurst in his ward. This disapearence means that Counciller Swindlehurst now has no anti-incinerator opposition in Cippenham Green ward.
In spite of this trouble the group will be continuing with their campaign to stop the incinerators. On Thursday 27th May, SAIN will be holding their second public meeting at St. Mary's church in Slough in order to launch new data regarding the proposal and on Sunday 30th May there will be a 'Bank Holiday March to Grundon', departing from Trelawney Avenue, Langley at 11.00am.

For more info please see www.sainslough.co.uk or email info AT sainslough.co.uk