Eco-warriors invade incinerator over cancer fears

eco-warriors with fears for residents' health stormed the flagship waste incinerator in New Cross on Monday and forced it to be shut down.

In an early-morning raid, 15 Greenpeace volunteers drove three vans into the massive South London Combined Heat and Power plant (SELCHP), in Landmann Way, and overpowered the lone security guard.

They were protesting against cancer-causing chemicals, called dioxins, emitted by the waste incinerator as it burns more than 1,000 tonnes of London household rubbish daily.

The group, which has trained to become expert climbers in preparation for the raid, pledged to remain inside the incinerator until it is closed-down permanently.

Five protesters strapped themselves to one side of an exterior wall, while six people attached themselves to a large claw which is normally used to dump rubbish into the incinerator.

By Tuesday morning, the five protestors hanging on the outside wall had come down and were held in custody for six hours before they were released without charge.

But three other eco-warriors, who managed to scale the 100m-high chimney stack, were still inside the chimney as the News Shopper went to press.

Speaking from his post inside the chimney, father-of-two Mark Strutt, 44, from Grove Park, told the News Shopper it took them five hours to climb it, and they had enough supplies to remain there for at least a week.

Wearing a face mask, he said: "It's not very pleasant up here on the chimney it's very smelly and very windy. Every day we stay up here, we stop large quantities of chemicals, seeping out of the chimney.

"I have two children and I think it is absolutely unjust Lewisham Council does not recycle more and, instead, takes the gamble with my children's health and other children's health with this incinerator."

According to environment group Greenpeace, the Government admits a third of adults are taking in the maximum amount of dioxins it considers safe and the occupation is part of a nationwide campaign against incinerators.

A Lewisham Council spokesman said SELCHP processes 109,000 out of 130,000 tonnes of waste collected by the borough each year but it aims to recycle 10 per cent of its rubbish by 2003/4.

SELCHP commercial director Michael Blundy said the incinerator was regulated by the Environment Agency and it operates well within Government health guidelines.

He said tests had shown SELCHP did not contribute to background dioxin levels in the surrounding area and Greenpeace had inaccurately interpreted statistics.