Close the last foot-and-mouth mass burial site4 July 2001
A Friends of the Earth survey revealed that DEFRA is failing to use available capacity in licensed landfill sites and continuing to use a mass burial site. This contravenes advice published earlier in the month by the Department of Health (DoH). Friends of the Earth is calling for a public inquiry into foot-and-mouth. This should cover issues such as why the DoH advice on disposal routes has been continually ignored during the crisis.
The DoH report says that rendering, incineration and engineered licensed landfills are preferable to burial sites. But DEFRA has told Friends of the Earth that it is still using a mass burial site at Tow Law (County Durham) because rendering plants are closed on weekends. Health risks from mass burials
include contamination of private water supplies by Cryptosporidium, E Coli 0157 and Giardia. The Environment Agency has failed to take into account biological risks in its risk assessment on threats to groundwater at Tow Law. It has also failed to allay community concerns about the potential impacts from airborne pollution from the site.
Mike Childs, Friends of the Earth's Campaigns Director, said: " The Department of Health has given clear advice to the Environment Agency and the Department of Agriculture - don't use burial sites if
there is capacity in licensed landfill sites, incinerators or rendering plants. Yet again communities are needlessly suffering because of inept decision making by some government bodies. It's time to close down the last mass burial site and announce a comprehensive public inquiry."
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