The work of the incinerator continues and the Council of Gipuzkoa, chaired by Markel Olano, has announced that before the end of the year they want to launch the facility for burning waste. "Zubietarras have expressed their opposition to this unnecessary project on a thousand occasions and we wish to express our deep concern about the impact it will have on the lives and health of thousands of people living within a radius of 10 kilometers, among which have been mentioned Zubieta, Lasarte-Oria, Andoain, Usurbil, Donostia, Urnieta, Hernani, and Astigarraga. That is why, in order for the data to be at least in our hands, we have hired two agents to take samples and carry out scientific research," they reported at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

One is the Dutch foundation ToxiWatch, and the other is a Basque company accredited by the Basque Government, to which the name has not been quoted. "If, in the future, with the samples, the MP led the incinerator, we could monitor and compare the results," he added. They have stressed the importance of this first step, as the barns, land and vegetation are related to be able to carry out the study.

Dozens of people have met at the press conference held in Zubieta Square. Like the authorities of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, although the City of San Sebastian says that the incinerator will not have negative effects on the environment and health, according to the doctors of the Health and Incineration Research Group, many scientific disclosures remind the opposite: toxic emissions from incinerators cause serious health problems for people.

They denounce that the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa is required by law to develop a monitoring plan for the incinerator to ensure that fumes leaving the incinerators’ fireplace do not affect air quality, but affect land, water, local agricultural products, plants and citizens. They have pointed out that over the years a scientific method is needed to ensure that heavy metals, dioxins and furans do not accumulate, and that they must be measured with impartiality. "We still do not know of any plans, even though the authorities themselves say they are going to start the incinerator in the short term. How are we going to be calm? What do people around you want to do? ".

"Today we want to announce that zubietarras are not going to stand idly by, let alone. Through the Zubieta Lantzen Association, several zubietarras have decided to take on, as far as possible, the task of measuring the pollutants that the burning of waste is going to spread from Zubieta to the whole of Gipuzkoa and that should be carried out by the higher institutions," they said. As they have indicated, if the Gipuzkoan Deputy conducts research in Biodonostia, the results of her independent investigation will be "comparable and complementary" to those of the Gipuzkoa Deputy.

Scientific guarantee

In the coming weeks, the researchers will take samples of contamination in the area and in the Zubieta area. The members of the Zubieta Lantzen association explained that these spaces were selected after a dispersion study of the Zubieta incinerator. Media professionals have been invited to see how the samples are taken, as well as to talk to these researchers.

According to reports, the ToxiWatch Foundation will investigate, following scientific methods, the land and its "shrub or tree eggs and plants that may give rise to bioaccumulation phenomena". ToxiWatch is a Dutch College of Non-Governmental Scientists, one of the world’s most expert in measuring and evaluating POP and dioxins. They have years of experience in monitoring measurements of Dutch incinerators and have ongoing projects at global level for scientific monitoring of toxic emissions. "The inclusion of ToxiWatch in this project ensures international scientific projection and reliability, bringing this project to the forefront of world-wide research."

At the press conference they recalled what happened at the Harling incinerator. Dioxinagate: this is what the most recent incinerator in the Netherlands spreads, while the Dutch Government claimed that pollution was below legal standards, this foundation investigated and scientifically demonstrated that this was not true, and that emissions were polluting the surrounding area, far above what the law had indicated at times.

At a press conference on behalf of the Zubieta Lantzen association, they reported that a second company would also be responsible for carrying out other measurements. This is a Basque company, accredited by the Basque Government, which will carry out an analysis and monitoring of heavy metals.

"From Zubieta we want to inform all the citizens concerned about the incinerator that our project will be an exercise in transparency, an attitude that we do not see at all in the Gipuzkoa Parliament. With the most scientific and aseptic procedure possible, we will ensure transparency at all stages of this research. The results will be accessible to citizens, stakeholders and the entire international scientific community. The results will be published in the media and, if deemed necessary, will also be published in international scientific publications," they said.

"In order to launch the research, it is important that the first measurements are carried out in the pre-operation phase, i.e. before the incinerator is launched. This will allow us to compare ourselves with the results of the coming years." Finally, they have again called for "this dirty incinerator not to be turned on".