An eight-month investigation by Oxfordshire County Council has concluded that a rubbish-burning scheme is the best solution to the county's waste disposal problems, despite concern that this method of waste disposal will allow dioxins (which have been linked to cancer in humans and other animals) to enter the local food chain.
The county council is under financial pressure from the Government to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Councillors claim that an incineration scheme creates green energy, since electricity is generated from the burning rubbish. However, environmental groups are angered by the investigation's conclusions. Oxford Friends of the Earth have created a website explaining their opposition to an incinerator: www.oxon-incineration.com. As well as the potential for toxic pollution, Friends of the Earth claim that commitment to an incineration strategy undermines other forms of waste disposal, such as recycling and composting. The Green Party in Oxfordshire also disagrees with the conclusions of the council investigation.
The report's conclusion has implications for other British counties. Oxfordshire's recycling record compares well with that of other counties, so a decision to begin incinerating Oxfordshire's rubbish may be cited as proof that basing a waste disposal strategy on recycling does not make economic sense even for counties that have comparative success in recycling. This means that other local authorities may be tempted to follow Oxfordshire's example, particularly if their recycling record is not as good.
As well as being linked to cancer, dioxins have been linked to developmental retardation in human children and cardiovascular problems in adults.