Dr Dick Van Steenis incineration of waste

19th July 2006 Brighthelm Centre - Dr Dick Van Steenis - Will waste be the death of us? - A medical perspective.

Dick Van Steenid

As a retired NHS GP, Dr Dick Van Steenis was involved in research into health damage resulting from industrial air pollution from January 1995 up untll his death in 2013. See Tributes paid to Monmouth doctor and health campaigner.

Dr Dick van Steenis MBBS highlighted the risks of particulates, especially PM2.5s which are small enough to get into people's breathing tubes, as well as PM2s which can reach into the bottom of people's lungs. He claimed that incineration of waste causes a shortening of lifespan in human-beings of up to 12 years, by increasing a range of diseases especially cancers. He also described a study in Belgium, which has monitored a 480% rise in cancer in the vicinity of an incinerator.

Concern about PM2.5 particulates was expressed too in the context of construction works going on now at Hollingdean Depot, with particular reference to the Hydrogen Peroxide (rocket fuel) being used to deal with diesel contamination on the site to form a sludge. Local residents at the meeting expressed concern about particulates in the dust on the site, which was being driven by the westerly winds towards their homes.

Dr Dick van Steenis MBBS recommended three measures which concerned residents could take:

1. Move home
Acquire a Hepa Filter - There is a growing body of evidence that high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filtration can reduce indoor PM2.5 concentrations and deliver some health benefits via the reduction of exposure to PM.
3. Take Selenium tablets 200 mg (adequate selenium in your blood neutralises the metals to stop mutations from leading to birth defects and cancers). This webmaster stresses that the latter should not be tried before seeking the advice and guidance of your GP. In larger doses, Selenium is also a poison.

Dr van Steenis lamented the failure of any UK government agency to effectively measure the PM2.5s entering people's lungs. We were reminded that no such monitoring was taking place at Hollingdean Depot and that this may be the subject of a case which the Dump the Dump campaign is currently compiling, which it hopes to take to The High Court.

The medical doctor emphasised that The UK, unlike USA, refuses to measure what goes into your lungs namely PM2.5s to enable companies (like Veolia) to maximise profit.

He cited the downgrading of The Integrated Pollution & Prevention Control Law in 2000 by John Prescott to more or less "anything will do" status.

The UK Government's Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affiars DEFRA as well as their Primary Care Trusts appear to have no problem with PM2.5s. DEFRA has much looser standards on this than The World Health Organisation. We may in fact have to look to European legislation to safeguard us from the current situation.

As a result of this Laisser-Faire attitude towards our health, Councils only measure irrelevant PMlOs down to PM4s. The Environment Agency & Councils have been told not to bother much with air pollution.

The Environment Agency truthfully states that they know nothing about health. Far worse, the Health Protection Agency follows on from the Guy's Hospital unit director who said "Air pollution does not exist".

So without knowledge of toxicology or possessing adequate data they only heed government "spin" and "reviews" and "diktat", while admitting they really know nothing. The Primary Care Trust Public Health directors in the UK are also totally ignorant of the subject, so pressurised by conflicts of interest or political "spin", they are exposed as not having learnt the subject or checked data on their own computers or checked studies done worldwide.

Dr Dick van Steenis MBBS concluded that it was up to us, the residents who are being subjected to these risks, to challenge the Primary Care Trust public health directors whom the General Medical Council say must know the subject and be up to date and listen to public and colleagues.

The Environment Agency cannot finally authorise any application (from companies such as Veolia) unless the Council and Primary Care Trust public health director have both passed it.

This gives us an insight in the kind of legal challenge which The Dump The Dump campaign are currently compiling. No doubt, Dr van Steenis's expertise will be a component of this challenge.

Dr Steenis's report to the Public Inquiry

The Newhaven Incinerator, handling 210,000 tonne-a-year, was initially granted planning permission in February 2007. A ten-day Public Inquiry opened on 12th November 2007

See Dr Van Steenis's REPORT for PUBLIC INQUIRY (19 November 2007 & amended 24 November at inspector’s request) regarding NEWHAVEN proposed incinerator site.

Downwind of PM2.5 emitting sites, such as incinerators, incidence of a large list of diseases and premature deaths at all ages are very much higher than upwind.

As there will not be any PM2.5 monitoring downwind of the Newhaven incinerator, levels could be extremely high where grounding occurs. Burning of coal with waste produces PM2.2 emissions but burning oils PM2.0 and burning of bitumen mixes PM1 emissions. It is the varied very toxic content of PM2.5s from incinerators that makes the effects of inhalation worse. PM2.5s & PM1s get through the abatement equipment, which include vaporised heavy metals, PAHs, dioxins etc. etc. many of which cause mutations leading to birth defects & cancers. The evidence of my colleague & myself prove that these modern incinerator emissions are very deadly causing maiming and killing.

Harvard studies published in 1996 and others at St. Helens and a Porton Down study, all based on measurements, revealed that for every 100 foot of chimney height PM2.5s ground at enough concentration to have health effects within 7 miles. Hence those downwind of Newhaven are at real risk of being maimed or killed at up to 15 miles. My map is in my summary report. The highest risk is halfway namely Lewes with a frequent SE wind.

A letter from the Sussex Downs & Weald Primary Care Trust dated 10 February 2006 gave consent for this Newhaven incinerator to the Environment Agency. Neither that letter, nor the 2 relevant Health Protection Agency reports, nor the DEFRA statement (challenged by Royal Society for lack of data) has a single proper journal reference or any health or PM2.5 data. They comprise SPIN!!!! Even DEFRA now admit in their 16 July 2007 report that PM2.5s cause premature deaths and illnesses including cardiovascular & respiratory. On 12 September 2003 I was present as observer at a meeting of 5 public health directors plus 2 Health Protection Agency doctors. Not a single one knew the subject or had tried to be up to date.

Incineration of waste causes shortening of lifespan of up to 12 years by increasing a range of diseases especially cancers. 20-year study (Belgium) 480 % rise in cancer incidence.

Background to the Meeting
The meeting at the Brighthelm Centre was held by Dump the Dump campaign on 19th July 2006 to publicise their campaign's commitment to a more sustainable Waste Local Plan. Together with other groups in the city, they are demanding:

* a rejection of the current Waste Local Plan – with its dependence on waste-bulking and incineration for waste disposal

* the re-negotiation of the £1 billion 25 year Integrated Waste Contract with Veolia Environmental Services – to deliver technology that is fit for the future in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex

* that the Council should follow the lead of other authorities - who are developing more sustainable alternatives for dealing with their waste.

Norman Baker, the MP for Lewes, reminded those present that "waste is money". He lamented the irresponsibility of the two Local Authorities which signed the 25-year contract with Veolia, and the low priority given to environmental health in the failure of the Councils to do a proper study of the alternatives to incineration, or even to write the transportation of domestic waste by rail into such a foolishly long contract.