Today the Mayor of London added his voice to that of Jon Cruddas MP and called on the government to stop approving the building of ?archaic' polluting waste incinerators, outlining his opposition to the proposed Riverside Energy Park in Belvedere, Bexley.
Jon Cruddas MP who has been running a campaign against the plans since September 2018 commented: "I welcome the support from the Mayor. If this application is approved it has the potential to damage air quality, health and biodiversity across a huge swathe of East London which includes Dagenham, Rainham and South Hornchurch.
"This isn't a done deal which is why I have made representations against the plans throughout the examination process, and will be handing a petition to the Secretary of State later in the year. I'm urging residents to join the fight to protect Rainham's air."
Sign Jon's petition here: https://joncruddas.org.uk/belvedere-incinerator-petition
City Hall has heard from worried residents and MPs who strongly oppose the plans and are concerned about the impact on the local area. The plant would emit more than four times as much harmful NOx as the existing local incinerator and the Crossness sewage plant combined. It could also emit arsenic, nickel and other metals that could damage the health of residents and workers both nearby and across the river.
The Mayor has reviewed the application by waste management company Cory and disputes claims that the incinerator will generate low-carbon heat and power and meet his minimum CO2 requirement for energy from waste facilities, which aims to reduce carbon emissions and help tackle London's climate emergency.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: "London's air is a toxic air health crisis and the last thing we need, in our modern green global city is another harmful waste-burning incinerator polluting our city. Emissions from incinerators are bad for our health, bad for our environment and bad for our planet. Instead of granting permission for an unnecessary new incinerator that will raise pollution levels in the boroughs of Bexley and Havering, the Government should focus on boosting recycling rates, reducing the scourge of plastic waste and tackling our lethal air. I am urging ministers to reject this proposal. "
If you haven't signed Jon's petition yet calling on the Secretary of State to reject this proposal you can do so here: https://joncruddas.org.uk/belvedere-incinerator-petition