Binn Farm - Gasification fears contemptuously dismissed
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Published in the Courier : 24.10.11 
Published online : 24.10.11 @ 09.10am 

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Sir, — On Wednesday, October 19, the development control committee of Perth and Kinross Council met to consider an application to build a waste gasification incinerator at Binn Farm. I was one of two objectors allowed to address the committee.

I was taken aback when the vice-convener Bob Band began by stating that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss whether there ought to be an incinerator at Binn Farm. That, he said, had already been decided — a reference to the permission granted in 2006 for a conventional incinerator.

Instead, he told the committee that it should limit itself to considering whether there should be a change in the type of incineration, from conventional incineration to gasification. As far as I can understand, the gasifier proposal was a standalone application, not one to modify an earlier proposal.

The vice-convener's statement had the effect of stopping committee members considering the negative effects that all types of incinerator have in common, namely the destruction of resources, the waste of energy, the production of greenhouse gases, and the poor monitoring of harmful emissions — all of which undermine the principle of sustainable development (applied by the Perth Area Local Plan) and the protection of health (required in the Perth Structure Plan).

Subsequently, Ann Sangster of Abernethy Community Council pointed out that the only other example of gasification in Scotland had shown itself to be extremely unreliable, producing hundreds of emissions of harmful gases.

All in all, this was a very strange meeting. All concerns were contemptuously dismissed within the space of half an hour. That's half an hour to condemn the people of Abernethy to 30 years of breathing poisonous fumes.

Michael Gallagher.
33 Precinct Street,
Coupar Angus.