Hafod campaign opens up European front

A petition aimed at closing Hafod quarry has been presented to the European Parliament. Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans has handed a petition to the Chair of the European Parliament's Petitions Committee, Marcin Libicki. She has presented this on behalf of the Hafod Environmental Group campaigners.

Jill Evans said: "Putting a petition to the European Parliament can be a way of getting action taken when others have let you down. In this case both the local authority and the Welsh Assembly Government have badly let down the people who have to live with this landfill site. My own petition dealing with a similar case at the Nantygwyddon landfill site in the Rhondda some years ago certainly helped in closing it down and I hope that this petition will have equal success.

"It is crazy that in the 21st century we are still transporting waste for miles and dumping it in holes in the ground when we know that it will affect people's health and the environment. I am working in the European Parliament to get stronger laws on reducing waste, increasing recycling and phasing out landfill. In line with all their declared environmental and sustainability policies the Labour government in the Assembly should be doing the same.

"It is a disgrace that once again we see a community having to take action themselves because no-one else will stand up for their interests."