RE: Waste incinerator a foolish idea (Your Views, St. Albert Gazette, Oct. 23)
As a resident of St. Albert, I read with interest Alan Luck’s claim that: “... emissions from waste incinerators accelerate climate change and create toxic cancer-causing pollutants.”
In truth, there is mixed evidence in medical literature about impacts on people living by waste incinerators. Medical studies published before 2000 about older incineration facilities are speculative about health impacts – some studies suggest impacts, others do not.
However, studies generally published after 2000 and evidence from numerous respected international health authorities support that modern, well-run waste incineration facilities are not an issue. Incinerators with modern pollution control technologies do not represent a public health risk. Emissions from a modern, well-run waste incinerator will not accelerate climate change or create pollutants that we should be concerned about from a public health point-of-view. These emissions will be too trivial.
Warren Kindzierski, adjunct professor, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
