PETITION TEXT - Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to

(a) immediately ban the construction of new waste incinerators and large biomass burners, and shut all existing plants within 5 years;

(b) improve the monitoring of emissions from existing waste incinerators; and

(c) accelerate Scotland’s drive to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.

Background information - Click here  - This is where we lay out our arguments as carefully and concisely as possible

Sign here

(or click here to see earlier signatures) 

Public Standards Commissioner for Scotland responds to complaint against Public Petitions Committee, Sept 26, 2011
GAINS received the following response from the Public Standards Commissioner for Scotland. Basically, it says that we cannot challenge the Public Petitions Committee for failing to properly consider our petition...read more 

GAINS complains to Public Standards Commissioner for Scotland, 23 Sept
Dear Sir/Madam - I wish to make a complaint against the Public Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament. 
When we first presented our petition in January for the abolition of waste incineration, the Committee was very sympathetic and attentive...read more 

Convenor of Public Petitions Committee replies to complaint by GAINS, 31 August 2011
Dear Mr Gallagher - As you know, the Public Petitions Committee considered your petition at its meeting on 28 June 2011. I am aware that the clerk, on behalf of the Committee, contacted you...read more

GAINS submits complaint against Public Petitions Committee for failing to provide a reason for rejecting petition, 22 July 2011
Dear Mr Stewart - I recently received an email from Anne Peat informing me that the Petitions Committee had rejected my petition (no.1379) calling for a ban on new waste incinerators and the closure of existing plants within 5 years...read more

Scottish Parliament rejects core of petition demand, 28 June 2011 
Dear Mr Gallagher - As you may be aware, the Public Petitions Committee considered your petition today. That Committee decided that although it could see clear merit...read more

Petition to be heard on 28 June 2011 - Dear Mr Gallagher - I am writing to confirm that your petition will be considered by the Public Petitions Committee at its meeting on Tuesday 28 June 2011. The meeting will be held in Committee Room 2, Edinburgh...

Committee shelves petition til after election, 2 March 2011 (Word Doc) - The Committee agreed to invite, in its legacy paper, the Session 4 Public Petitions Committee to give further consideration to the petition 

GAINS comment, 17 February 2011: The Petitions Committee has asked us to comment on the responses mentioned below. Click here to view our comments (pdf file).

Initial responses to petition (addressed to the Public Petitions Committee), from: Greenpeace, Aberdeenshire Council, SEPA, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government

Petitions Committee update, with response from Greenpeace, 28 January 2011

The Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee informs us that the committee will consider our petition for a second time on 1 March. The Committee has forwarded the response to our petition from Greenpeace...read more

Transcript and film published, Tue 18 Jan 2011

The Petitions Committee has now published a transcript of our presentation and the subsequent question and answer session...read more

Plans to burn waste criticised, January 12, 2011 (external link, opens in new window)
A TAYSIDE campaigner has condemned Scottish Government plans to burn up to a quarter of waste as the "triumph of despair over hope".....read more

Presentation to Petitions Committee, Tuesday 11 January 2011

On Tuesday 11 January 2011 Ann Coleman, Professor Paul Connett and I presented the GAINS petition to the Petitions Committee. We began with....read more

Supporting statement from Friends of the Earth Scotland, 10 January 2011

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition

Briefing for the Public Petitions Committee, 15 December 2010 (pdf file)

This 4-page document is produced by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). It outlines our petition, and states what actions the Government has taken in addressing the concerns expressed therein.