This picture shows an incident at Veolia's 'flagship' incinerator at Chineham.[That's the one they take the Shropshire councillors and journalists to, give them a nice lunch, and then invite them to marvel at how clean and safe it is. ]
A report of the system crash depicted can be viewed at:
http://www.netpark-ltd.co.uk/bbac/Incidents.shtml#BBAC-Systems-crash-at-Chineham-Burner-causes-concern
Having got the Chronicle to print on 27.3.08 that the picture was false and couldn't possibly be Chineham incinerator, Veolia have now admitted that it is Chineham after all but wish us to believe that the picture shows steam coming out of the main chimney and a steam vent. Funny how the 'steam' looks black - what colour do you think those white-looking chimneys (or vents) really are then, allowing for the 'angle of light' (see below)?
We believe that what happened at Chineham is information in the public interest so the above link gives the text omitted from our original posting as well as the picture. The Chairman of the Chineham Parish Council has subsequently emailed Safe Waste in Shropshire to confirm that both the picture and the report are genuine.
[You may also be aware that if the smoke coming out of an incinerator isn't black, it does not mean that it is safe. It will contain PM2.5s - tiny toxic particulates and these are the most dangerous.]
'Beyond the Pale'
Veolia got the Chronicle to print an article denouncing us in the 27.3.08 edition of the Shrewsbury Chronicle:
Waste chiefs angry at false image of incinerator on web By Peter Kitchen
WASTE bosses have hit out at anti-incinerator campaigners after a false image of an existing facility appeared on a website.
'Sylvia Herbert, press spokesperson for Veolia, said: "I think it's beyond the pale. Chineham only has one chimney and it doesn't throw out smoke like the picture showed - it's just not right to put out pictures like that on websites." '
After we complained about the piece, the Chronicle contacted us to say that they would put the record straight in their 3.4.08 issue. Here is what they printed:
'Sparks Fly over website’s Picture of Incinerator' By Peter Kitchen
ANTI-incinerator campaigners have come out fighting In the row over online images of existing plants - claiming they prove the venues are not safe.
An image of Chineham energy recovery facility near Basingstoke on the Safe Waste in Shropshire website was criticised by officials at Veolia Environmental Services as it appeared to show the site having a phantom second chimney emitting black smoke.
But it has since been revealed the image was taken by a local campaign group in Hampshire during an incident at the plant four years ago, when smoke escaped from the facility following a systems shutdown.
Campaigners say the second “chimney'' is simply a plume of smoke. The leak created noise and a burning smell across the Chineham area. The image has since reappeared on the Safe Waste in Shropshire website with links to the original article, and campaigners have stood by their decision to publicise the picture.
Veolia officials are planning to build a £60 million pound energy recovery facility at Battlefield as part of a 27-year contract signed with Shropshire Waste Partnership.
Mirian Walton, secretary of the SWS group said: “When we verified where the picture had come from we knew it was completely legitimate – it shows the Chineham incinerator and gives details about an incident where systems shut down and smoke was able to escape. I so no reason whatsoever to remove this picture and in fact I have now highlighted both the picture and the accompanying story in a new posting which I believe is in the public interest.”
John Collis, project director, for Veolia Environmental Services said: “The photo of the Chineham energy recovery plant shown on the Safe Waste in Shropshire web blog was misleading because it appeared to show 2 smoking chimneys.”
“The picture from Sept. 2004 actually shows 2 plumes of steam, one coming from the plant’s chimney and one showing a release of steam from a steam vent. The plumes of steam are only seen as dark because of the angle of light at the time the photo was taken, which the Environment Agency verified at the time. The environment agency confirmed there was no breach of emission standards and there was no was no risk to human health from this steam release."
By the way, we never did take the picture off the site; it's still where it always was in our February posting. It's just bigger in this posting! And it's image, Shrewsbury Chronicle, not images. (Journalistic licence, we suppose)
[If, by any chance, any false information does appear on this site (we try very hard to make sure it doesn't) please accept our apologies. It's a campaign blog and we are not responsible for the content of every link we post].
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