See also Fred de Baere's Story - a most moving account from someone living downwind of this waste incinerator.
 

This invaluable report, produced by local qualified medical specialists and running to 29 pages, is a MUST READ for those interested in how a local waste incinerator really might affect them.

It provides clear evidence of heightened health problems  and substantial shortening of life in a street (Medlarstreet) within 1 mile downwind of a waste incinerator which has been polluting the local area for the last 30 years.

This report was compiled without state help 'because they didn't want to do a scientific research' (sound familiar? - see Dr Roberts steadfast refusal to conduct a full health impact assessment at the Padeswood public inquiry - too expensive; too time consuming; statistically insignificant).

Translated into English, this report is not difficult to read and we list below some of the key areas you may wish to look at:
 

Death Data (p10)
    Average age
            of women at death date    60        Normal Belgian life expectancy    78
            for men                            65                                                           71
 

Comparison with Seveso (p12)
    very clear similarities with this most notorious of dioxin laden explosions:
        predominance of the same cancers with suppression of breast; cervical; and ovarian cancers - a clear indication of the powerful anti-oestrogen effects of
        TCDD, the most cancinogenic of all the dioxins.
 

Survey of reported cancer occurrence with children (p19)
'Very striking is the high amount  of young children with cancer in group 6 (Leukaemia and gland cancer).'

Reproduction problems (p20)
'A lot of young people (mainly women) who used to live in the neighbourhood of the waste incinerator, have problems with fertility, problems with pregnancy; and problems with birth.'
 

Disease image around waste incinerators (p20)
Much of interest here:
'after 13 years the occurence of cancer is twice as more than anywhere else, and this increasing is reaching 5 times more than anywhere else after 20 years activity of the waste incinerator.'

The effects are not just life threatening:
'From the beginning of the waste incinerator activities people in the neighbourhood got problems with breathing, eczema and allergies'

'Many years after their birth many complaints are stated in a lot of children. This includes: hyperactivity; disturbances of behaviour; growth retardation; disturbances of brain development; heart defects; learning problems; concentration disturbances; allergies; asthma; various sorts of mutations (autism, dwarf growth etc) mental defectiveness; motorical disturbances etc.'

'Lots of people in the immediate surroundings of the incinerator complain about chronical fatigue, insomnia, hyper ventilation, breathing problems, stress, stomach complaints, allergies and hormonal complaints.'

Low Frequency Noise influencing health (p23)
 

CANK Comment

According to this report, 21 residents of Medlarstreet have lost 239 years of their lives as a result of this incinerator.

Perhaps Dr Roberts, our local area health consultant might now like to contact these Belgian doctors  and  review the report he produced in 1999 (widely critisised and based exclusively on Castle Cement data ) confirming that there would be no significant health threat from Castle Cement's proposed hazardous waste co-incinerator?

For a similar UK story - see the Daily Mails's Report on the Fazakerly Incinerator (10th May 2000).

There are those whose vested interest lies in the pro-incinerator lobby who will undoubtedly say that the technology has moved on in the last 30 years and that plants erected now are 'state-of-the-art'. The Belgian incinerator was probably 'state-of-the-art' 30 years ago but that was clearly not good enough both in terms of its design and also its subsequent management.

Hereby some more information about us and our fight against the waste incinerator of Sint-Niklaas, Belgium.

I hope so to support the struggle against waste incinerating.

It concerns the Belgian MIWA-waste incinerator with a capacity of 55,500 ton a year. Our health report describes the assessments in the environment of the waste
incinerator. These assessments can be supply with an investigation of exposure of pollutants or with an investigation of biomarkers for exposure to ambient air
pollution. However, till now, our government (with the green party as member of the government) refuge to do these investigations. We had to make the health
report fully by ourselves. We had to spend our own time and own money to make the study of assessments.

We want tell you the shortened story about the waste incinerator of Sint-Niklaas in Belgium.

1. History
Since more then 20 years, there is in the city of Sint-Niklaas (Belgium) (40,000 habitants) a waste incinerator owned by the government (a corporation between 5
towns). This waste incinerator with a 55,500-ton year capacity was built amidst streets where people live. It is less than 2 kilometres from the town centre. There is
no heavy industry in the neighbourhood. From 1977 till 1988 the waste incinerator operated with a limited filter installation (only with a badly maintenanced electro
filter). During 20 years the ashes were stored and transported in open containers.  Until now the waste incinerator is working without nitrogen filter.

2. Our health complaints as the neighbours
End of the year 1997 we heard about health complaints by neighbours of incinerators. We worry about it in consequence of the handicap that happened with our
little child. He is now 5 years old and is an achondroplast (a dwarf) in consequence of a mutation. Scientists call it an accidental mutation.
But there was also the year 1979. In this year I fall a victim to a spontaneously abortion. The foetus was 3 months old and they could not find a reason for this
spontaneously abortion. One year later in 1980 we expected against a child. When we where in the hospital at the moment of the confinement the nurse found out
that we expected a twin. A few ours later the twin come an earth, but ... they died before they come to earth. After examination of the two deceased boys, the
doctors could not find a reason why they died. It was against an accident. In 1981 there was a daughter, thank goodness she was total healthy. But the next year I
fall against victim to a spontaneously abortion. The foetus was again three months old and again they could not find a reason for this spontaneously abortion. By
myself, they're where also many other health complaints during the time I lived near the waste incinerator. At this moment my daughter of 20 years old, has her
periods just two or three times a year, caused by a hormone disruption.  We detected recently that my son of 16 years old has a neurotic development.  He has
among other things a fall-out of his audile memory.  All these health complaints could be caused by the toxic substances of the waste incinerator.

3. The government
We tried to tell about our problems to the government. On the 25 November 1997, we had a talk about the healthy complaints with the mayor of our city. He said
that there could not be any problems in the neighbourhood of the waste incinerator caused by this incinerator. He said also to us that he knows the term "culpability
principle" from the handicap sector. Parents with handicapped children are always looking for a scapegoat. In this case, he said, it is the waste incinerator. Until now
the mayor, do not want to speak with us. The mayor himself is member of the board of directors of the waste incinerator. The man who is political responsible for
the environment of the city is also the chairman of the board of directors of the waste incinerator until 12.31.2000.
In December 1997, we wrote letters to the Flemish minister of healthy, to the Belgium minister of healthy and to the Flemish minister of environment. We never got
any response. Now, since two year the green party has the minister of health and the minister of environment but nothing changed.  They have built an incinerator of
150,000 tons/year cap. And they want to build another with a capacity of 466,000 tons/year.  Our green party wants also build 3 incinerators in Ireland.

4. Our health research.
In the month of January 1998, we started a health research. The results where unbelievable, also for us. (look report).
In may 1998 we wrote again letters to those ministers, this time with the results of our health research.
The Flemish minister of healthy said that she was not qualified to this problem and that all facts belong to the power of the Flemish minister of environment. The
Belgium minister of healthy answered that he is only qualified for toxics in food. The Flemish minister of environment did never give an answer.
In Belgium, there is a communication gap between the habitants and the government. Ministers refuse to co-ordinate many problems. In this case the government is
at the same time owner of the waste incinerator and responsible for the health from their habitants. Commercial interests give the forehand instead of interests for a
healthy society.

On November 20 2001, the management of the MIWA waste incinerator in Sint-Niklaas Belgium is be sentenced on appeal to close the waste incinerator at last
towards December 31 2002.  This incinerator was operating since 1977 and has a licence until 2008.

The judgement of the Belgium court of appeal is based on the precaution principle (that means not to wait for scientific consensus to take measures for specific dangers for
the environment and for the public health) and on the basic principle of preventive acting (that means to take action to prevent environment damage rather than restore the
damage afterwards).  The management refuge explicitly to install a denox-filter installation and so they do not apply the best available techniques (BAT).  The Belgium
court of appeal says that this decision of the management forms a serious threat for a infringement of the environmental laws.  The sentenced on appeal to close the waste
incinerator is a tool to maintain the environmental law and to prevent the environment damage,  with a view to the public interest, says the court of appeal.  It's the first time
in Belgium that a licensed firm has to close by the court of appeal due environmental violation of the law.

Unfortunate the judgement is only available in the Dutch language (look www.milieugezondheid.be - Juridisch).

The "Workshop Environment and Health Sint-Niklaas" has also started in 1999 the procedure to prosecute the management.  This procedure is still pending.

Since 4 years the "Workshop Environment and Health Sint-Niklaas" is fighting the incinerator.  In spite of a own health report of 1998 of the impact of the waste incinerator
(look www.milieugezondheid.be), the politicians and the government refuge till now to close the incinerator while the management is not respecting the Belgium laws.
Since two years the green party in Belgium takes part of the government.  The green party has the minister of health and environment.  Nothing changed.

Sincerely

Fred De Baere

Belgian Platform Environment and Health
Drielindenstraat 24
B 9100 Nieuwkerken Waas
BELGIUM
tel. en fax : 00-32-3 766 12 02
E-mail : fred.debaere@pi.be