Archived press release

HMIP on Dioxins

25 September 1995

Friends of the Earth today criticised the latest Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP) report on dioxins [1][2]as being a case of too little too late'. Far from being a comprehensive inventory of dioxin sources the report looks only at emissions to air - ignoring the major routes into the environment via solid wastes and into the sewers and containing some glaring emissions from the latest research.

The report does, however, demonstrate that more than 70% of the UK emissions to air come from municipal waste incinerators and that old incinerators are still being allowed to operate with dioxin emission levels that are up to 3,000 times the standards permitted for new plants in parts of Europe.

Alan Watson, Senior Campaigner on Industry and Pollution for Friends of the Earth said:

"HMIP are taking a dangerously complacent attitude to dioxins. They claim to demonstrate a reduction in emissions by focussing on pollution to air when they know that other routes into the environment - such as to land via contaminated incinerator ash are larger and are likely to increase."

Alan Watson continued:

"HMIP should have been aware of the problems relating to dioxin and health years ago - the United States Environmental Protection Agency has undertaken a long and comprehensive review of emissions and health effects [3]. They have confirmed exposure standards that are 1,000 times lower than those in the UK but HMIP still seem unable, or unwilling, to grasp the nettle and properly address this urgent problem."

EPA scientists concluded a year ago that dioxin probably causes cancer in wildlife and humans, and that it harms the immune system and the reproductive systems in fish, birds, and mammals (including humans) at doses that are miniscule. The lead scientist on the EPA reassessment team, Dr. Linda Birnbaum, said she and her colleagues now consider dioxin an "environmental hormone" capable of disrupting a large number of bodily processes in fish, birds, and mammals, including humans. Dioxin, EPA said, is especially powerful in its effects on the unborn and the newly-born.

Alan Watson concluded: "If the authorities are serious about solving the dioxin problem then they will have to focus on eliminating chlorine at source rather than producing misleading reports designed to throw favourable light on doomed attempts to mop up emissions."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] A Review of Dioxin Emissions in the UK' [2] Dioxins are a family of highly toxic chemicals produced as an inevitable consequence of chlorine production, use and disposal. [3] The USEPA a reassessment process that involved original laboratory research, many meetings with non-government scientists, at least 2 public hearings, and many drafts of the 9-volume reassessment document, which was peer-reviewed prior to release. Eight of the nine volumes were written by non-governmental scientists. EPA had never before involved such a large number of non-agency scientists in its work. It managed to solicit and include the viewpoints of industry, academia, government, and the general public.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust