Alert #27 Delaware Senate votes for incineration, 11 to 10 -- Tables SB 98:
7 Democrats and 4 Republicans voted for incineration 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans voted against incineration Of the 8 "below the canal" legislators voting, 5 voted for "above the canal" incineration Rumors say the DSWA is promising it would not build an incinerator for at least ten years. Senators McBride and Connor spoke eloquently of the harm done to their constituents by the previous garbage incinerator at Pigeon Point and asked their colleagues in the Senate to prevent this from happening again. Senator Myrna Bair, and Pat Canzano of the Del. Solid Waste Authority claimed the real problems at Pigeon Point came from composting, not incineration. (The DSWA did have a very bad composting facility alongside their very bad incinerator.) They wanted an anti-composting bill. Senator Harris McDowell, a "combustion systems consultant," claimed that automobiles are incinerators and that recycling would cost 7 times as much as incineration. Sen. George Bunting, a long-time burn supporter, voted against incineration. (Thanks, Senator) Senator Robert Venables, famous for opposing environmental and health concerns, questioned whether incinerators contribute to asthma, saying he had heard that cockroaches cause asthma. Statement from Green Delaware: "We are, of course, a bit disappointed in the Senate's close vote against the health and pocketbooks of Delawareans. But, this is a tactical defeat in a war we are winning. There will be no more garbage burners in Delaware. Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling programs are the future. The misguided Delaware Solid Waste Authority, with its big PR budgets, its lobbyists, it's lies, and it's toxic facilities, is a thing of the past. Let your Senator know how you feel about his or her vote." Look for more details in upcoming Green Delaware News. (C) Alan Muller
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