Friends of the Earth today welcomed the decision of the Environment Select Committee to publish recommendations following its inquiry last Wednesday (7.6.1995) into the burning of secondary liquid fuel in cement kilns.

The three major U.K. cement manufacturers, Blue Circle, Castle and Rugby Cement, are carrying out trial burns of fuels derived from industrial wastes variously called secondary liquid fuel (SLF), recycled liquid fuel (RLF) and Cemfuel(TM). These wastes include chlorinated solvents from processes such as paint manufacture and printing.

The select committee has recommended that such substances should be legally classified as wastes rather than fuel and that cement kilns should be provided with additional pollution abatement controls to ensure that, even at times of upsets, emissions are no greater than would arise from the burning of conventional fuel. They are critical of H.M.I.P. and have asked for better enforcement of regulations, better data and more consultation with local communities.

Last Wednesday at the Select Committee Inquiry, Roger Lilley, Friends of the Earth Industry and Pollution Campaigner, argued that the best solution for the problem of hazardous waste would be for the Government to set targets for the reduction of their production as well as supporting further research and investment in clean technology. In the meantime, FoE totally opposed the proliferation of hazardous waste incineration in cement kilns where pollution and planning controls were significantly inferior to those imposed on purpose-built incinerators.

Roger Lilley said today:

"We welcome the recommendations of the Select Committee. We would now like to see the Government take swift action to close the loopholes that allow the cement industry to dispose of such wastes at standards lower than those imposed on incinerators.

Rather than allow the U.K. to become the dumping ground for Europe's hazardous waste under the guise of supplying fuel to the cement industry, the Government should now be actively phasing out the production of such wastes."

The trials have been opposed by community groups throughout the country as well as environmental organisations and local government. The Association of County Councils voted on April 7th to lobby the Government to call a halt to such trials until cement works are made to comply with the same standards of pollution control as purpose built hazardous waste incinerators.

The cement industry is also facing opposition from specialist waste disposal companies such as Cleanaway and Rechem, as well as solvent recoverers such as Croda Solvents of Knottingley in Yorkshire. These companies have seen their markets threatened following the intervention of the cement companies. The specialist incinerator companies complain that the cement industry is currently able to avoid the same stringent levels of regulation and planning control that they are forced to adhere to. The companies that recycle chemical wastes and recover reusable solvents argue that this is a far better environmental option than incineration in cement kilns.

The track record of waste incineration in cement kilns abroad is a major cause for concern. Some of the principle health concerns involve the levels of heavy metals and dioxins that cement kilns are likely to emit. In the U.S.A. where cement kilns have been burning a variety of wastes for more than a decade, there is an increasing incidence of health problems affecting humans and livestock downwind of such plants. Symptons of respiratory and neurological disease, as well as cancer, endometriosis and fertility problems have all been attributed to emissions from waste burning plants. In the U.S.A. an increasing numbr of doctors, hospitals and veterinary surgeons have condemned the practises of the cement industry outright and local governments have placed a ban on their operations within several miles of schools and houses.

The sites currently involved in the trials are: Castle Cement, Ribblesdale, Lancashire - burning Cemfuel since 1992 Rugby Cement, Barrington, Cambridge - burning SLF since 1993 Castle Cement, Ketton, Leics - burning Cemfuel since 1994 Blue Circle, Weardale, Co. Durham - burning RLF since 1994 Rugby Cement, Southam, Warwicks. - burning Dycal (product of nylon industry) since 1994 Blue Circle, Great Blakenham, nr Ipswich - application to burn RLF turned down in February 1995

In addition Redland Aggregates are burning wastes at two of their lime kilns: Thrislington, County Durham - burning waste with up to 7.5% chlorine since 1993 Whitwell, Derbyshire - burning SLF

Roger Lilley continued:

"This could be just the tip of the iceberg. The Government appears to be giving the green light to the cement industry to incinerate an increasing variety of hazardous wastes and to import such wastes under the guise of fuel. The UK is already the dustbin for radioactive waste; we may end up burning much of the world's hazardous waste in our cement kilns unless the Government acts on the Select Committee's recommendations".

ENDS

FoE Regional Contacts

Clitheroe (Castle Cement, Ribblesdale) - Judy Yacoub (Pendle FoE) 01282 862980 (ho) 01282 813668 (Tuesday)

Clitheroe (Castle Cement, Ribblesdale) - Mark Johnston (North Lancs FoE) 01524 848407

County Durham (Blue Circle, Weardale) - Rev Bennett (Derwentside FoE) 01207 562243 ho 0191 261 5677 wk

Ketton, Leics (Castle Cement, Ketton) - George Uhlenbroek (Rutland and Melton FoE) 01780 720130

Cambridge (Rugby Cement, Barrington) - Lindsay Travis (Cambridge FoE) 01223 312800 (FoE office) 01223 350472 (ho)

Southam, Warwicks (Rugby Cement, Southam) - Chris Studman (Coventry FoE) 01203 711185

Great Blakenham near Ipswich (Blue Circle, Claydon)- Nick Hardingham (Mid Suffolk FoE) 01449 720820

Barry, South Glamorgan (Blue Circle, Barry) - Byron Lewis (Barry FoE) 01446 420165

Local Community Action Groups

Weardale, Co. Durham - Brian Sullivan (01388 517274)

Weardale, Co. Durham - Susie Muncaster (01388 537596)

Cambridge (CamAir95) - Rupert Dick (01233 870985)

Cambridge (CamAir95) - Sue Walker-Mitchell (01223 871205)

Cambridge (CamAir95) - Alan Jenyon (01223 314848 wk)

Ketton, Leics (NACCK) - Paul Johnstone (01780 720500)

Great Blakenham, Ipswich - Debbie Parker (01473 831380)

Clitheroe, Lancs. (RATS) - Mary Horner (01200 441284)

Local Government

Cambridgeshire County Council - Cllr Margaret Hunter (01763 260372)

Cambridgeshire County Council - Cllr Robin Martlew (01954 210298)

South Cambridgeshire District - Cllr Robin Page (01223 262181)

Cambridgeshire Waste Regulation Authority - Keith Stonell (01480 49371)

Lancashire County Council - Cllr Louise Ellman (01772 254868)

Ribble Valley Borough Council - David Morris (01200 25111)

Durham County Council - John Wearmouth (0191 386 4411)

Suffolk County Council

Association of County Councils - Derek Bateman, Chair of Environment Committee (0151 355 6575)

Industry

Castle Cement (Ketton) - Neville Roberts (01780 720501)

Rugby Cement - John Newton (01788 542111)

Blue Circle Cement - Ian Mackenzie (020 7836 2345)

Cleanaway Ltd - (01277 234567)

Croda Solvents - Jonathan Peacock (01977 677161)

Interested Politicians

Andrew Bennett MP Chair of Environment Select Committee - (020 7219 5462)

Anne Campbell MP (Barrington, Cambs.) - Cambridge (01223 300991)

Hilary Armstrong MP (Blue Circle, Weardale) - N.W.Durham (0191 386 4411)

Sue Waddington MEP (Castle Cement, Ketton) - Leicestershire (0116 247 1221)

Stephen Hughes MEP (Blue Circle, Weardale) - Durham

Tony Blair MP (Redland Aggregates, Thrislington) - Sedgefield, Durham (in November 1994 TB called for a ban on the burning of chemical industry wastes following an accident)