Listen: Academic calls gasification plan ‘preposterous’ and challenges supporters to debate

AN outspoken academic who has campaigned against incineration for three decades has challenged developers and politicians supportive of a multi-million pound jobs-boosting waste plant in Strathfoyle to a public debate in Londonderry.

By Kevin Mullan

Published 20th Sep 2013, 10:29 BST

Attwood acknowledged gasification is incineration.

Dr Paul Connett, threw down the gauntlet at a public meeting organised by anti-gasification group, Zero Waste North West on Thursday (September 19).

He challenged supporters of the plant to find a scientist or engineer willing to debate the issue with him.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Connett said he had fought against incineration for decades.

“This 28 year involvement has taken me to 49 states in the United States and 60 different countries.

“Between 1985 and 1995 in the United States we stopped over 300 incinerators from being built and very few, if at all any, have been built since.

“Now this plan that you have in front of you is utterly preposterous. It is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen for a very long time,” he said.

More shortly.

United States