wes_von_papineäu
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CREWE GUARDIAN (UK) 05 December 07 Miffed as a newt? (Steve Kelly)
Newts could hold the key to whether Europe's biggest incinerator is built in Runcorn.
A small breeding colony of great crested newts, which are protected by law, has been identified on the site at Weston Point where chemical giant IneosChlor plans to build a £30 million energy from waste' power plant.
Jeff Meehan, of campaign group Halton Action Group Against The Incinerator (HAGATI), said: "Because the newts are a protected species, Ineos would have to obtain a licence to rehome them, but they have to demonstrate that the project is for the purposes of preserving public health or public safety or other imperative reason of overriding public concern'.
"Building a private power station with Ineos as the only user does not meet such criteria."
It is illegal to disturb, damage or destroy the habitat of great crested newts.
Ineos had initially claimed there were no great crested newts or suitable habitat on the site in its environment impact assessment, which gained support from conservationists Natural England and Halton Council.
However, a company spokesman said: "In this case, the original environmental statement was submitted by IneosChlor to the Department for Business in January 2007. Since that time there have been numerous questions raised about the proposals that have resulted in the need to prepare additional information in response.
"In no way does the new information affect the integrity of the original environmental statement, but rather enhances it by providing additional information on key matters of interest or concern, or clarification on specific aspects of the original submission."
However, Mr Meehan accused the firm of misleading the public and urged people to contact the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform - formerly the Department for Trade and Industry - which will make the final decision on the bid in January.
"It is essential that the original information supplied by Ineos is not allowed to stand uncorrected when the minister is making his decisions."
Halton has come under intense scrutiny from environmentalists in recent weeks after a Defra study found heron eggs in the borough contained five times the toxic levels of cancer-causing dioxins.
Fiddler's Ferry power station in Widnes, which had been blamed for the contamination, denied responsibility.
http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/display.var.1881508.0.miffed_as_a_newt.php
Newts could hold the key to whether Europe's biggest incinerator is built in Runcorn.
A small breeding colony of great crested newts, which are protected by law, has been identified on the site at Weston Point where chemical giant IneosChlor plans to build a £30 million energy from waste' power plant.
Jeff Meehan, of campaign group Halton Action Group Against The Incinerator (HAGATI), said: "Because the newts are a protected species, Ineos would have to obtain a licence to rehome them, but they have to demonstrate that the project is for the purposes of preserving public health or public safety or other imperative reason of overriding public concern'.
"Building a private power station with Ineos as the only user does not meet such criteria."
It is illegal to disturb, damage or destroy the habitat of great crested newts.
Ineos had initially claimed there were no great crested newts or suitable habitat on the site in its environment impact assessment, which gained support from conservationists Natural England and Halton Council.
However, a company spokesman said: "In this case, the original environmental statement was submitted by IneosChlor to the Department for Business in January 2007. Since that time there have been numerous questions raised about the proposals that have resulted in the need to prepare additional information in response.
"In no way does the new information affect the integrity of the original environmental statement, but rather enhances it by providing additional information on key matters of interest or concern, or clarification on specific aspects of the original submission."
However, Mr Meehan accused the firm of misleading the public and urged people to contact the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform - formerly the Department for Trade and Industry - which will make the final decision on the bid in January.
"It is essential that the original information supplied by Ineos is not allowed to stand uncorrected when the minister is making his decisions."
Halton has come under intense scrutiny from environmentalists in recent weeks after a Defra study found heron eggs in the borough contained five times the toxic levels of cancer-causing dioxins.
Fiddler's Ferry power station in Widnes, which had been blamed for the contamination, denied responsibility.
http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/display.var.1881508.0.miffed_as_a_newt.php
