YOUR reports of the calling-in for public inquiry of Castle Cement's application to burn 'Cemfuel' at its plant in Padeswood, North Wales, have mainly comprised extracts from the company's press releases, incorporating allegations that "a small group of protesters" has been "frightening the local community - and giving them misinformation."

Castle need to appear squeaky clean and, quite frankly, you appear to be dancing to their tune.

Now, we read (LET, February 17) that this 'small group' was actually one Mrs Mary Horner, of Dunsop Bridge, who says she had simply told Northwalians what has been going on here.

Unlike Ribble Valley, of course, where no opportunity has been missed by the regulatory bodies to prevent assessment of the effects of incinerating hazardous waste in a valley with minimal self-cleansing capability.

Padeswood, and all that it entails, will be thrashed out in public. It will be most interesting to see the effects here of public scrutiny there.

I will not go over the arguments again, except to say that were it not for the 'small groups' of campaigners, the situation here would be far worse than it is. It is thanks to them that the Environment Agency is finally prosecuting Castle over alleged breaches of its "no offensive haze or odour" authorisation. Yet, on at least three occasions last week, the plumes came to ground in Clitheroe, the worst on Wednesday evening, when a huge pall gathered overhead before swathing the stands at Clitheroe football ground.

When this was brought to the inspector's notice, he was not aware of it, or that complaints had been made, nor did he seem to know if the Kiln 7 scrubber, which does not appear to be operating at all, was in use.

And all this at a time when the Commons Select Committee is finalising its inquiry into the agency.

Northwalians may congratulate themselves that they will not, as yet, be reliant on the agency for protection, for which they may count themselves extremely fortunate.

Closer to home, the Kiln 7 trials are about to recommence, after partial relining and repairs to its coal feed, with a re-run of coal baseline trials prior to switching to 'Cemfuel 2.'

J D MORTIMER (chairman, Friends of the Earth - Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley), Green Drive, Clitheroe.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.