CASTLE Cement has withdrawn an appeal against an Environment Agency notice restricting Cemfuel trials.

Ribble Valley community committee agreed on Tuesday to write to the Government opposing the appeal, and just hours later, the Clitheroe-based firm announced it had made the decision on Christmas Eve to withdraw.

The appeal was launched in November against a variation notice restricting trials to one kiln and ordering a halt to Cemfuel burning in two wet kilns.

Announcing the withdrawal, Ribblesdale works general manager Ian Sutheran said: "While we are confident that the wet kilns can be totally isolated from the dry kiln's Cemfuel supply, we have noted concerns raised by Ribble Valley Borough Council chief executive David Morris. We are withdrawing our appeal and can confirm that during the trial, when Cemfuel is in use on the dry kiln, it will be withdrawn from the wet kilns.

"Once the trial is over, hopefully in March, the company will stop burning Cemfuel on kiln seven and will apply to the Environment Agency to reinstate the current specification Cemfuel on the two wet kilns. "We are confident that the results of the trial on kiln seven will demonstrate the environmental benefits of burning a mixture of coal and Cemfuel as opposed to 100 per cent fossil fuel. It is our intention therefore to apply later this year to use Cemfuel on a permanent basis in this kiln."

The Environment Agency issued the notice on August 31 last year, after the firm's application to vary authorisation to burn Cemfuel, including increasing the permitted sulphur content for Cemfuel and petroleum coke and using various waste mineral oxides and construction industry waste as raw materials.

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