Covanta Letter Westen mail 09.02.09
SIR - It is with concern that we hear that a huge incinerator plant is being planned near to the Trecatti Tip and the Ffos y Fran opencast mine ("pounds 400m waste incinerator 'sprung' on community blighted by mine," Jan 29).
The people of Merthyr are, it seems, being singled out yet again for an environmentally unfriendly development.
It appears that Covanta Energy, a US-owned company, is behind the project.
In October last year the American branch of the company was fined EUR45,600 by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for exceeding the permissible limits for emissions of toxic nickel and related compounds.
Incineration in Wales does not have a good reputation either. The company behind the Crymlyn Burrows incinerator went bankrupt leaving Neath Port Talbot council with the liability of running the plant and leading to them launching a pounds 54m lawsuit against their advisers.
The Crymlyn Burrows plant was recently issued with a site warning, by the Environment Agency, following a breach of permitted pollution limits and was warned that it could be liable for prosecution.
Merthyr badly needs jobs but it needs good, healthy and clean jobs.
Having a reputation for being the dumping ground of Wales is not going to encourage good employers to want to set up in the town.
R JONES Chairman, Swansea Friends of the Earth