Waste study must allay health fears

EVIDENCE showing inconclusive links between cancer and incinerators is unlikely to assuage fears of people living in areas where waste will be disposed.

According to experts, this lack of information is largely due to the difficulty of conducting effective studies about the impact of pollution on health.

Similar studies conducted elsewhere in Europe showed there may be a small statistical link between living near a landfill site and certain congenital anomalies.

In a revealing comment on today's waste society, over 80% of people in Britain now live near a landfill dump. While it is unclear if new technologies will improve the situation, the study emphasises that Irish facilities for measuring dioxins should be developed as a priority.

The crux is that long before conclusive evidence is available, crucial decisions will be made on national waste disposal policies involving landfill and incineration.

Meanwhile, there is an urgent need to develop information systems to measure the health and environmental impact of landfill dumps and incinerators.

Until more reliable information is assembled, the NIMBY not in my backyard syndrome is sure to become a major issue in decisions on where to locate facilities affecting people's lives and property.