Archived press release

cement kilns

14 June 1995

Friends of the Earth today accused the Environment Minister of hypocrisy following publication of his response to the House of Commons Select Committee recommendations on the burning of chemical wastes in cement kilns [1] [2]. Robert Atkins asserted in his statement that current regulations were sufficient to cope with the issue and denied that there was any reason to amend the law to clarify the definition of such substances as waste.

Roger Lilley, FOE Industry and Pollution Campaigner said today:

"It is blatantly hypocritical that the minister should dismiss the conclusion of the Committee that H.M.I.P. has been influenced by the commercial considerations of the cement companies when he himself has allowed the regulations to be bent to protect the commercial interests of Castle Cement at their Ribblesdale works [3]. HMIP have placed the commercial interests of industry above environmental protection by failing to make either the Ribblesdale works or the Rugby Cement works at Barrington comply with the six month trial period of the Minister's own protocol."

Mr. Atkins denied that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution's performance on this issue was anything other than satisfactory and that his protocol of last summer, established to regulate the trials of chemical wastes in cement kilns, was not being enforced. He denied that the data received by H.M.I.P. was not of sufficient quality to draw firm conclusions as to the environmental impact of the trials. He also asserted that local communities were being properly consulted over the trials.

Roger Lilley continued:

"We are very disappointed with the Minister's response. There is clearly a need for Government to clarify the law to ensure that Waste Regulation Authorities can classify such substances as wastes without fear of being challenged by the cement industry."

"The Minister's defence of the statistical credibility of the data being used by HMIP to assess the trials is at odds with the conclusions of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology which said, "In view of the limited amount of information available from the trials to date and the variability at and beween sites, firm conclusions about the general acceptablity of the process cannot yet be drawn. (P.O.S.T. Note 60 April 1995)."

"We are especially disappointed at the failure of the Minister and HMIP [4] to recognise the shortcomings of the current system of authorisation by HMIP to provide a satisfactory process of public consultation. It is particularly deplorable that HMIP should attend public meetings organised by MPs at which local campaigners have been refused the opportunity to present arguments opposed to those of industry [5]."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS [1] Department of the Environment Press Release, 13.6.1995 "Cement Kilns and the Use of Secondary Liquid Fuels Response to the Environment Select Committee's Recommendations." [2] Environment Committee, House of Commons - Press Release 13.6.1995 "Burning of Secondary Liquid Fuel in Cement Kilns.". [3] "As you know, the position at Ribblesdale is complex and differs from other cement works. Castle Cement has been burning Cemfuel lawfully since 1992, and a significant degree of investment has taken place on the basis of its authorised use. From the monitoring information so far produced, no significant adverse environmental effects have been detected ... during the period of HMIP's evaluation and assessment of the information, the Company would be able to continue to burn Cemfuel in accordance with their authorisation. In this repect only, the Company would be in a different position to other sites where, on completion of the trial burning of substitute fuels, operators will be required to revert to the pre-trial fuels." (Letter from Robert Atkins to Nigel Evans MP 6.9.1994). [4] Department of the Environment Press Release, 13.6.1995 "Pollution Inspectorate Welcomes Select Committee Recommendations On Secondary Liquid Fuel Burning in Cement Kilns." [5] 10.3.1993 Public meeting at Harston near Cambridge chaired by Sir Anthony Grant MP; only Rugby Cement and HMIP were invited to speak despite a request from the local campaigning group CamAir95 and Cambridge Friends of the Earth. 28.4.1995 Public meeting chaired by Quentin Davies MP. Only Castle Cement and David Slater (HMIP) were invited to speak; no representative of the local campaigning group was invited.

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