The UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN) ‘Incinerators & Health: Fact or Fiction?’ November 2023 briefing, raises concerns about how incinerators are regulated. The briefing explores how statements made by the Environment Agency (EA), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and others to justify permitting waste incinerators are undermined by information revealed through information requests.
The briefing shows key decisions about environmental permitting for waste incinerators have been made based on outdated, inconclusive and in some cases no evidence at all. Once a permit has been granted, an unannounced site inspection is highly unlikely. More than two thirds of incinerators operating in England have never had an unannounced visit from the regulator.
UKWIN has written an article for Air Quality News about “why we felt compelled to produce our incinerator health briefing as part of our campaign to stop incinerators and protect air quality.”