As the consultation period into a huge energy project proposed for Buttington Quarry continues, one member of the group opposing the plans is taking the campaign to new heights this Saturday.
Cyclist Matt Hart will ascent the equivalent of Mount Everest by riding up to Rodney’s Pillar 26 times to protest what the group claims to be local and global issues of waste incineration.
In April, Broad Energy Wales submitted the planning application for its “Energy Recovery Facility” which, it claims, will produce enough electricity to power 20,000 homes, whilst providing local jobs.
The 12.8 mega-watt incinerator development includes other infrastructure buildings including a 70-metre-high chimney stack and changes to the roads.
But there is strong local opposition to the plans with the Buttington Incinerator Impact Group (BiIG) saying it will reduce air quality, with further concerns about the impact that increased lorries bringing in rubbish to be burned will have on the environment.
In the absence of a public meeting and a with protest called off last week due to Covid restrictions, the campaign is taking a different approach, with Matt set to cycle an incredible 150 miles up and down the 1000ft+ hill – a gruelling slog which could take 22 hours and ‘climb’ the equivalent of Everest’s 29,000 feet.
“If Buttington project were to go ahead, it would devastate the local community,” he said. “It’s a beautiful rural area, the incinerator would be positioned right next to the school and HGV traffic would be carrying waste over huge distances through the local village creating noise, smells and pollution, not to mention the added CO2 emissions these vehicle miles would generate.”
The first ascent will begin at 5am on Saturday and will continue throughout the day and into the night.
Broad Energy have explained that the facility would take up to three years to build, create 300 construction jobs and provide work for 30 permanent jobs once operational.
They add that the facility’s lifespan will be 25 to 30 years and that it would be operational all day, every day.
The company said: “The vision of the development is to provide a sustainable use for a former quarry area by delivering a bespoke facility to waste management and the generation of low carbon energy.
“The long-term objective is for the development to act as a catalyst for the wider aspiration for the development sire to create an eco-business park.
“The Welsh Government has set the target to become a zero-waste nation by 2050.
“The ERF represents a major step in helping Wales achieve this ambition.”
You can make your voice heard on the incinerator plans by visiting StopButtingtonIncinerator.com