Archived press release

Waste firm in court batle to keep disposal contract secret from residents

25 August 2009

WASTE COMPANY IN COURT BATTLE TO KEEP REFUSE CONTRACT SECRET FROM RESIDENTS

A French-owned multi-national waste company is going to the High Court today [Tuesday 25 August] to try and prevent Nottinghamshire County Council from giving local residents details of its £850 million waste management contract with the firm, and payments made to it by the council.

The full hearing of the Judicial Review is taking place after Veolia Environmental Services obtained an interim injunction to prevent council officials from releasing the information following a request by local resident Shlomo Dowen, of People Against Incineration [PAIN] [1].

Mr Dowen is represented by lawyers from Friends of the Earth's Rights & Justice Centre.

Information in the contract, including invoices paid by the council, will reveal how much money Veolia Environmental Services is charging the local council for each method of treatment (landfill, incineration, recycling, composting, etc.) and will help show whether or not the local authority is getting value for money.

Shlomo Dowen said:

"Nottinghamshire residents have a right to see how tens of millions of pounds of our money is being spent, and our waste is being dealt with. Veolia must not be allowed to keep this information secret."

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"The law gives the public explicit rights to see this type of information precisely so that they can hold authorities to account on major issues such as waste disposal. Companies must realise that members of the public have a right to know how enormous sums of their money is being spent."

Mr Dowen has already accessed some information from the council and has asked the District Auditor to investigate amount of money it is charging Nottinghamshire's County Council in respect of landfill tax.

Veolia is also embroiled in another controversy with Nottinghamshire County Council over its plans to build an incinerator on a former Colliery site in Sherwood Forest. The company claims that local waste levels are expected to rise significantly in the coming years - a fact hotly disputed by PAIN, who point to evidence that Nottinghamshire's waste levels have actually fallen [2].

Notes:

1. Mr Dowen asked for the information under the Audit Commission Act 1998. That law provides members of the public with legal rights of access to all contracts, books, bills, and accounts of a public authority for a 20 working day period each year so that they can participate in the local audit process.

2. Hearings for the Public Inquiry into the proposed Sherwood Forest Incinerator will begin on 6th October 2009 in Rainworth, near Mansfield. These hearings are expected to last for three weeks. People against Incineration is joined at the Inquiry by Newark and Sherwood District Council and Notts Wildlife Trust who also oppose Veolia's incinerator plans.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust