GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
Government’s Incineration Ban - First Step in Right Direction

Auckland, Monday 17 November, 2003: Greenpeace International senior scientist Pat Costner supports the Ministry for the Environment’s (MFE) proposed ban on high temperature hazardous waste incineration but believes it doesn’t go far enough.

“This is a great first step for the NZ Government to take, but it’s just the beginning. There’s a real opportunity for NZ to be at the forefront of international moves to ban this dangerous and outdated technology,” said Ms Costner.

“All incineration releases dangerous dioxins. Dioxins cause cancers, birth defects and endometriosis. The Government must go further and ban all incineration including phasing out the dinosaurs that are currently polluting the environment.

“Banning this obsolete technology will go a long way to protecting the health of New Zealand, now and for future generations,” said Ms Costner.

Incineration excluded from the proposed ban includes school and municipal waste, including ‘waste to energy’ electricity generation. Greenpeace believes burning school waste and municipal waste must be quickly phased out and non-toxic alternatives sought.

After 20 years of working on this issue Ms Costner is considered an international expert on incineration, dioxin sources and non-incineration technologies for waste disposal and destruction.

For more information contact:
Greenpeace Communications Officer Suzette Jackson 09 630 6317 ext: 849 or 021 577 556 Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner Carmen Gravatt 09 630 6317 ext: 325 or 021 302 251

* Pat Costner will be available for media interviews from the 13 – 18th November by arrangement.

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