NO 2 Veolia torpedoed bid

Ok, same news, different paper.  The local press coverage of the campaign against zionism's preferred supplier, Veolia, has been, from my point of view anyway, as unexpected as Veolia's sudden withdrawal from the contract contest.  This time it's the Camden New Journal on the case:

ONE of the biggest-ever contracts in local authority history has been thrown into further chaos after one of only two bidders pulled out at the last minute.

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) – run by seven London boroughs, including Camden – is on the verge of handing out a £4.7bn contract to collect, recycle and burn waste from the boroughs for the next 25 to 35 years.

But after more than a year of negotiations whittled down the firms able to handle such a contract to just two, one has now quit the race at the last minute.

International waste firm Veolia is not giving a reason for its decision. But campaigners believe it is due to the negative publicity that has been gathering pace over its work for Israel on illegally occupied Palestinian land.

The United Nations and charity War on Want both wrote to the councillors – two from each borough – who run the NLWA, urging them not to choose Veolia.

Camden representatives on the NLWA are councillors Phil Jones and Theo Blackwell.

There has also been a vociferous campaign by a group called No To Veolia.

Campaigner Yael Kahn said: “It is absolutely down to the campaign. Without it Veolia would have already pocketed the contract.”

The contract, which will cost Camden taxpayers £600m, has been mired in controversy because all the deliberations are held in secret, even though a vast amount of taxpayers’ cash – enough to buy four nuclear submarines – is at stake

Of course this isn't simply about media coverage. Israel will be watching this case nervously as companies will have to consider all of the implications of being associated with the occupation or even with Israel itself.

Protest against Veolia in Camden, London, UK

Bin Bag Protest: Veolia out of north London

On Tuesday at 9am we will be gathering at Camden Town Hall in order to protest at the meeting of the NLWA board who will be voting on the Fuel Use contract for North London.  NLWA will also be making decisions about bidders for the main waste processing contract and it is a great opportunity for us to remind them about the campaign through a Bin Bag Protest. 

This will reinforce the vital work that has been done recently by members of No2VAG in terms of vital legal arguments and contacting councillors again to repeat the key messages as well as raising environmental, financial and corporate conduct concerns. 

A number of people have prepared materials, placards [see attached], Veolia Scream bin bag and clothing (white overalls) which will be brought and a member has prepared a Veolia Scream facepaint design so it will be visually impressive.  All you need to do it turn up for an hour on Tuesday morning.  If you are willing to be face-painted please arrive by 8.45am.  Wet wipes and water will be on hand to clean up afterwards!   If you have other materials you wish to bring along these will be welcome.

Bring along yourself, your ideas and enthusiasm!

Decision day nears for waste project worth billions

Published: 9 December, 2011

The latest Islington Tribune published letter includes details of our protest:

Tuesday 13 Dec 9-10am

Camden Town Hall,
Judd St [Opposite St Pancras Station; between King's Cross and Euston],
London WC1H 9JE

Will north London throw £4.7billions down the drain?

The evidence against Veolia:
1) Grave misconduct for aiding and abetting on-going Israeli war crimes
2) Financial crisis - nearly 60% loss of share value in the last 6 months [see latest - below]

3) Racist recruitment practice - advertising jobs for Jews only
4) Guilty of putting residents lives in danger in the 2007 explosion of waste [Preston, Lancashire, closing the M6]

5) Technical solutions bad for the environment [while competitors offer harnessing of CHP heat, Veolia offer no real Heat Recovery]
6) Poor recycling [Veolia business concentrates on incineration and is new to the separation of co-mingled waste needed for meaningful recycling]

The NLWA has ignored the evidence against Veolia and it insists:
"none of the matters raised so far have been found to affect Veolia’s ability to perform satisfactorily a contract for NLWA".

Would the NLWA councillors take it more seriously when they vote this Tuesday on whether to shortlist Veolia?

If you are on facebook - you may wish to invite your friends to:

http://www.facebook.com/events/296349483731462/ 

Veolia Financial Crisis:

In the summer Veolia was forced to disclose its financial crisis, including fraud and since has been in free fall. This week Veolia announced to investors [6 December] that it's dumping its new partner, Transdev - they only got hitched a few months ago after courting for 2 years.  This divorce won't be cheap. Bloomberg's take was: "Veolia Exits Mass Transit With $6.7 Billion of Asset Sales to Reduce Debt". Such a change of heart should worry all north Londoners. The waste authority is keen to tie the knot with Veolia for 30 years to the tune of £4.7billions. The NLWA councillors will vote this Tuesday on whether to continue flirting with Veolia.  

Grave Misconduct

The Tribune edited out "grave misconduct": inadvertently altering the substance of the letter - a distortion the NLWA does all the time, except the NLWA should be aware of the difference, given the legal advice available to them:

"to Veolia's grave misconduct in aiding and abetting the Israeli violation of international law and human rights of the Palestinians"
was edited to:
"to the company’s operations in Israel".

http://www.islingtontribune.com/letters/2011/dec/decision-day-nears-waste-project-worth-billions

The unaltered letter [the full letter sent to the Islington Tribune]:

The international media is analysing this week [again] the crisis surrounding Veolia. From the FT to Reuters they all agree it is serious. But the NLWA responses show it is still in denial. 

The problem is that Islington would have to live with the legacy of the NLWA aversion to facts and UK law. The waste contracts the NLWA appears so keen to grant Veolia are for 30 years! And it isn't small money – in fact it's the biggest UK waste project worth £4.7 billion.

While I'm writing this letter, Islington councillors would be contemplating which company would be dropped out of the three horse bid for billions of pounds waste related contract. The vote is next week.

It seems, the north London councillors at the NLWA are held by the scruff of the neck. It even rejected all 3 deputation applications to explain the Councillors why the legal advice they were given by the NLWA isn't sound.

Hundreds of residents have communicated their concerns, from Veolia's guilt in the 2007 explosions putting in danger residents and closing the M6 & M55, to Veolia's grave misconduct in aiding and abetting the Israeli violation of international law and human rights of the Palestinians. No one will be able to say that the NLWA awarded these contracts in ignorance of the complicity of one of the bidders in complicity with flagrant and ongoing war crimes.

Will the Islington councillors have the courage to stand up for Islington and vote against Veolia?

Islington residents will be protesting when the NLWA come to vote this Tuesday 13th from 9am outside the Camden Town Hall near King's Cross.

NLWA

North London Waste Authority process the waste from the 7 boroughs:
Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest