Awkward Questions to be Asked About Planning Proposals

  1. What cost comparisons have been undertaken against other disposal solutions?

    1. Check for exclusions and limitations

    2. Check the validity of the figures quoted

  1. Have comparisons of environmental impact of the proposed solutions been made, such as a Sustainability Assessment?

  1. How and where is the ash going to be disposed of?

    1. Around 40% by volume of the input waste stream is ash, made up of bottom ash and toxic fly ash which has to go to a land fill site accredited for hazardous waste.

    2. The ash problem – see Byker.

  1. How is pollution control going to be controlled during start up and shut down?

    1. What is proposed as Best Practice, is it adequate?

    2. What are the estimates of Plant down time (could be 20% of the operating year), the estimation of exceedences, and how will the 20% of waste stream when incinerator unavailable be handled?

  1. What happens during a plant failure?

    1. Is there an disaster plan, an emergency plan, or a recovery plan?

    2. Do the plans address concerns with respect to toxic atmospheric emissions (filter failure), and the emissions due to inadequate combustion temperature?

  1. How is monitoring undertaken?

    1. Are the Location, Frequency, Equipment used, and the Contractor to be used identified and specified, and what is to be done with the results?

    2. Are the results part of an improvement feed back processes for the contractor?

  1. What components of the waste stream contribute to the calorific value and how is it assessed and maintained?

    1. Are there penalties for incorrect calorific value, will a fossil fuel have to be used to augment the waste to maintain combustion temperature?

    2. Are there financial penalty for not having enough waste?

    3. Are there penalties for incorrect chemical composition, such as teh inclusion of hazardous materials such as batteries or pesticides or PVC in the waste stream for example?

  1. What is the efficiency of the conversion of waste to energy?

  1. Are the local authority complying with guidelines and procedures?

    1. Have all the issues been considered in the EIA?

    2. Has a Sustainability Assessment (SA) been undertaken and is it complete?

    3. Has a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) be undertaken?

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Last updated Tuesday, 20 May 2008