'Dressed up incinerator' claims by campaigners
The treatment plant, which would burn thousands of tonnes of Lincolnshire's household rubbish, could be built under the Government's Private Finance Initiative.
Lincolnshire County Council has asked for £107m in credit to build the energy from waste facility – probably next to the landfill site at North Hykeham.
Energy generated could be used to produce electricity and there would be potential to heat homes and businesses too.
As reported in the Echo, Lincolnshire faces fines of more than £6m by 2013 if it does not slash the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.
Environmental campaigners claim the terms of a PFI contract would force people to feed the burner with rubbish for almost 30 years – or face financial penalties from the operator.
The Lincolnshire Anti-Incineration Alliance argues more recycling and weekly collections of thrown-away food could avert the threat of the landfill fines.
It will call on the Government to reject the county council's PFI bid – saying it has failed to properly weigh up the costs of weekly food waste collections, which could be disposed of through a process called anaerobic digestion.
LAIA member James Reeves (34), from North Hykeham, has called the plans a 'dressed up incinerator'.
And fellow campaigner Joanna Heselwood said: “The toxic emissions from this massive burner will fall on Lincoln City and the surrounding area.
“We think the decision to build this wasteful and polluting monstrosity in our beautiful county demonstrates intellectual laziness and tunnel vision and LAIA is disappointed that our public servants have not fully examined all the options. We expect better.”
The county council should hear in August if its PFI bid has been approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
For more on the controversial 'incinerator' plan for Lincolnshire – and the scheme that will finance it – see Monday's Echo.
Comment on this story