- The ToxiWatch foundation has been collecting samples in the incinerator area of Zubieta for five years in search of heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs and PFAS. All of them appear in the samples and furthermore the Anti-Incineration Movement announced at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that they have found an “alarming increase” in pollution. They have called the march for 18 May.
On May 23, the ToxiWatch Foundation will present in detail the results of the analyses at the Sandiuster in Hernani and on May 27 will make a more technical presentation at the Sutegi Hall in Usurbil, but the Anti-Incinerator Movement has just made progress on the data. The Dutch foundation has been collecting samples for five years in waters near the incinerator, streams sediments, lands, moss and some selected plants, as well as in the eggs of chickens for self-consumption of some nearby families. The result: “Significant increases in dioxins, PCBs and PFAS are seen in plants. For example, on the leaves of the baits it is observed that dioxins and PCBs have doubled. Increases in dioxins and PCBs are also very high in the moss. Heavy metals (lead, zinc, copper…) have multiplied in groundwater. The analyzed eggs, meanwhile, have high levels of dioxin and PCBs, with very significant increases, exceeding the legal limits to be edible.”
The movement recalled that PCBs and PFAS, also known as “eternal pollutants”, are in the process of banning them or legally regulating their control across Europe.
On the other hand, the Anti-Incineration Movement has anticipated that the members of the Zero Waste Europe (Europe Zero Zabor) federation will also be present in May. ZWE is studying pollution produced by several European incinerators.
"Waste management systems are better, cleaner and cheaper than incineration, and we have them in place in many locations. We have to stop this unnecessary incinerator."
Incinerator on 18 May
At 11:00 from Okendo de Lasarte Square, the Zubieta Anti-Incineration Movement has called a walking march with the sponsorship of Donostia Bizirik, Eguzki and Ekologistak Martxan. They will ask the authorities to “stop the incinerator, not burn more waste, neither in Zubieta, nor in Añorga, nor in Bergara or anywhere else. Waste management systems are better, cleaner and cheaper than incineration, which are in operation in different locations in Gipuzkoa. We have to stop this unnecessary incinerator,” they say.
However, during the incinerator's start-up, "it should be the priority of those responsible for it to ensure that dioxins, PCBs, PFAS, heavy metals and other pollutants are not spread", for which the movement indicates the need for continuous monitoring of all emissions. Moreover, these technical pollution studies should not be the responsibility of a popular movement, they have criticized that "the public authorities are responsible for ensuring the health of citizens and nature, with total transparency". They call on the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the Basque Government to "show in complete transparency the information and data they have".
See appearance of the Anti-Incineration Movement on the fronton of Zubieta