Archived press release

cement kilns

26 June 1995

Friends of the Earth is backing tomorrow's moves by Anne Campbell MP to tighten the regulation of the UK cement industry's use of hazardous waste as fuel. She is putting forward two new clauses to the Environment Bill that comes before MPs tomorrow at its Report stage[1][2]. The clauses will seek to protect communities around the country from the poison fall-out by closing the current loopholes whereby:

the cement industry does not have to conform to the same emission standards as purpose-built high temperature incinerators for the disposal of hazardous waste the wastes used by the cement industry are at present classified as fuel enabling the cement industry to avoid regulation by the Waste Regulation Authorities (normally County Councils), and avoid the need for mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment and planning permission.

Roger Lilley, Industry and Pollution Campaigner with Friends of the Earth, said:

"Tomorrow will be a test of whether the Government will act swiftly to close the loopholes that allow the cement industry to burn hazardous waste. Too little is known about the effect that the dioxins and other toxic substances produced by these kilns have on human, livestock and wildlife. We shouldn't be taking risks with the health of our environment by allowing continued pollution of these communities.

"If the cement industry gets the green light to burn these wastes under the current loopholes, dozens of UK cement kilns could end up as incinerators for much of Europe's hazardous waste."

A recent report of Parliament's Environment Select Committee following its inquiry into the use of secondary liquid fuel by the cement industry [3] was seen by campaigners to have vindicated their concerns about the health effects of hazardous waste burning. They point to the frequency of accidents, such as the fire at the Castle Cement works at Ribblesdale last week, as evidence that the handling of hazardous waste by the cement industry represents an unacceptable risk.

Formal complaints to the European Commission have been accepted by the Environment Commissioner, Ritt Bjerregaard, and a full investigation of the use of hazardous waste by the European cement industry has been promised. Community groups in the USA is applying pressure on the US Environmental Protection Agency to have the cement that is produced using hazardous waste specially labelled.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

[1] The chemical wastes currently used by the cement industry are generally known as Cemfuel, secondary liquid fuel (SLF) or recycled liquid fuel (RLF) and contain solvents from various industries such as paint manufacture. The communities so far affected have been supported in their campaign by local government including the Association of County Councils and Friends of Earth who have worked closely with campaigners in the UK and the USA over the last two years.

Sites actively using such wastes:

Castle Cement, Ribblesdale, Lancs - Nigel Evans MP (Ribble Valley) - burning Cemfuel since 1992

Castle Cement, Ketton, Leics - Quentin Davies MP (Stamford) - burning Cemfuel since 1994

Rugby Cement, Barrington, Cambs - Sir Anthony Grant MP (South Cambridgeshire) - burning SLF since 1993

Rugby Cement, Southam, Warwicks - Alan Howarth MP (Stratford & Avon) burning Dycal since 1994

Blue Circle, Weardale, Co. Durham - Hilary Armstrong MP (Weardale) burning RLF since 1994

Redland Aggregates, Thrislington, Co Durham - Tony Blair MP (Sedgefield) - burning waste with up to 7.5% chlorine

Redland Aggregates, Whitwell, Derbyshire - Dennis Skinner MP (Bolsover) burning SLF

Other sites where waste burning has been proposed or where there are active local campaign groups to prevent the use of waste fuels.

Blue Circle, Great Blakenham, Suffolk - Michael Lord MP (Central Suffolk) proposal to burn RLF turned down 1995

Blue Circle, Westbury, Wilts - David Faber MP (Westbury)

Blue Circle, Cauldon, Staffs - G.Stevenson MP (Stoke on Trent South) burning tyres on trial basis at moment; has plans to burn another waste of undisclosed nature according to letter to HMIP

[2] The two new clauses are:

Environment Bill New Clause 7

'After subsection (3) pf section 47 of the Clean Air Act 1993 (application to fumes and gases of certain provisions as to grit, dust and smoke) there shall be inserted

"(3A) Without prejudice to the generality of his powers under this section, the Secretary of State shall exercise those powers so as to ensure that where any fuel derived from waste material is used for the purpose of any industrial process, the emissions from the burning of that fuel are subject to requirements no less stringent than those which would apply under any enactment to incineration of that material as waste.".'

Environment Bill New Clause 17

'For the avoidance of doubt, any waste material shall continue to be deemed to be waste notwithstanding that it is used or intended to be used in an industrial process, and any enactment relating to the storage, handling, disposal and incineration of waste shall be construed accordingly.'.

[3] House of Commons Papers Session 1994-95 HMSO 479, 2nd Report of Environment Committee: "Burning of Secondary Liquid Fuel in Cement Kilns". The recommendations included strong criticisms of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution. The Committee advised that HMIP should not place the commercial interests of the cement industry above enforcement of environmental regulations, that far more reliable data on emissions should be extracted from the cement companies, and that much greater public consultation should be assured.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust