A couple of weeks ago the UK received a visit from a poison cloud, full of invisible toxins and very visible saharan sand. Poison clouds move with the air currents and there is no such thing as a ‘safe area’ in our world. However we cannot always blame other countries for our problems.
Unfortunately, one of the most unpleasant polluters of air locally is one that could have been prevented by the 2007 Conservative led, Slough Borough Council, it drops it’s poison on Slough, Maidenhead and Windsor residents daily. Last summer temperatures soared and most of us enjoyed spending time out-doors; then on the morning on the 5th September, the Colnbrook incinerator released an enormous cloud of toxic particles into our atmosphere. A local air quality monitoring station recorded a massive 985 rating of course, particulate matter; the rating level that is considered safe is below 54!
The waste that is burned there daily, includes radioactive waste. Another type of incinerator pollution are dioxins, they are invisible, not measured, and are some of the most dangerous airborne poisons. All the air pollutants are densest in the 17 mile radius round the incinerator and locally that also includes reservoirs that we drink from.
Infant deaths, ischaemic heart disease, bronchial/lung and many cancers are caused by polluted air and found in high percentages in areas close to incinerators. Locally, we inhale the toxic waste sent to be burned by Ealing, Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond on Thames councils.
Surely we know enough about poisons, disease, carbon fuels and climate change by now to know that we must stop burning? Ban the burners and lets get real about our health and the air we breathe.
Important issue, thanks for raising it Fiona. I think more people should be aware of this.
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