Members of the Stop Portland Incinerator Campaign (SPIC) have today (1st April) staged a demonstration against the project.
At the demonstration around 30 campaigners sat in the road approaching the Port, blocking it for around 1 hour and 15 minutes. It was peaceful, calm and they sang an alternative version of Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ with the lyrics changed to say, “We don’t need incineration”.
Around 15 HGV grain trucks were stuck in the queue or in the Port, however, according to the protestors, the atmosphere was cheeky, fun, but determined.
Etienne Stott, spokesperson for SPIC said:
“At the public meeting in November and at the mass protest in January, there was clear appetite to demonstrate to the Port that this community cannot – and will not – stand for this incinerator to go ahead as it threatens our very future. That’w why we are here today.
“If someone said they were going to place a housing estate behind the top of a polluting chimney stack so that those toxic fumes will literally be blowing on their faces, you’d think it was an April Fool’s joke. But this is the reality of this incinerator. It’s appalling.”
Following the protest Ms Stott said:
“Today was a small demonstration of the depth of feeling in this community. We don’t feel that we have a choice; it is simply our health and our future versus this incinerator. The Port and the Langham family have the power to pull the plug on this project. They would be heroes if they were to cut their losses, lift this toxic threat and allow everyone to focus on positive projects which will benefit the entire community.”
The campaign has been galvanised by Powerfuel’s application to the Environment Agency for a permit to burn a further 67 categories of waste. The Stop Portland Incinerator Campaign (SPIC) says it rejects the developers’ reassurances about its environmental impact. There remain deep concerns around the wide-ranging and serious health impacts of so-called ‘forever chemicals’ and heavy metals billowing from the smoke stack from the incineration of waste electrical equipment and furniture (which commonly contains toxic flame-retardants).
Images supplied by SPIC
