Extinction Rebellion take part in peaceful protest at Bedford incinerator

Extinction Rebellion Bedfordshire (XR Beds) peacefully protested at the entrance to the site of the Covanta incinerator.

The demonstration at the weekend was socially distanced and masks were worn at all times.

According to XR Beds, whilst incineration reduces the volume of waste, it releases emissions such as NO2 and ultrafine particulate matter, which can enter the bloodstream.

Stuart, an XR Beds activist, said: “The UK already has incineration overcapacity. The building of this incinerator threatens people’s health, pollutes the surrounding environment, and ridicules the notion that we live in a democracy.”

XR Beds is making a short film about the impact of development in Marston Vale with the new Covanta incinerator being a particular concern.

The protest comes shortly after Extinction Rebellion East of England announced four days of “rebelling across the region” over the August bank holiday weekend.

When it was first mooted waste-management giant Covanta planned to build the incinerator at Rookery Pit, Stewartby, near Bedford, there was huge controversy.

In November 2018, campaigners lost a High Court case against a permit for the plant being issued by the Environment Agency.

The challenge by Bedfordshire Against Covanta Incinerator against the ruling was rejected at the Appeal Court.

Both the Environment Agency and Covanta Energy deny there was any risks to the public.

Tom Koltis, Covanta's executive director for the UK and Europe, said: “We respect people’s right to safely protest on a given issue or cause. We would also encourage anyone interested in Energy from Waste to find out more about this technology to fully understand what it is, but more importantly, what it isn’t.

“The Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility will provide a proven long-term treatment solution for waste which cannot be economically recycled or composted. The new facility, which is currently in construction, will divert over 545,000 tonnes of waste from landfill each year.

"Otherwise this waste would decompose in landfill sites and produce harmful methane gas. As people may know methane is a potent greenhouse gas - over 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide - making it a significant target in the fight to reduce global climate change.

“This facility will be one of the safest and cleanest in the UK, operating well within the stringent limits set by the Environment Agency and the EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive.”