Studies into the effect a waste site would have on the environment in Basildon, and other possible sites in Essex, have been shelved by Essex county council.
Today it is still unclear which three of the six earmarked disposal sites across Essex would house an anaerobic digester.
Tories said environmental impact studies would be a waste of money and were currently not feasible.
However, Labour councillors disagreed and feel environmental impact studies should go ahead. Paul Kirkman, Basildon Labour leader and county councillor for Gloucester Park, said: "The waste plan has been the subject of political debate for years now. At the moment there is a lot of speculation, but people have no idea what the actual impact will be."
Yet Tory Kay Twitchen, cabinet member for environment, heritage and culture, said: "Any environmental impact study has to take in the type of machinery and the type of material being processed. So it is not possible to do an environmental impact assessment yet."
Published Wednesday July 14, 2004
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