EAST Lancashire Health Authority has called for production at Castle Cement's two controversial wet kilns to cease sooner than the three-year benchmark set out by the company because of the poor emissions performance.

Castle announced plans to end work at two kilns at its Ribblesdale site in Clitheroe earlier this month following the announcement of plans for a new £48 million dry kiln at the company's Padeswood site in Wales.

The National Assembly for Wales gave the go ahead for the scheme with work set to be completed within two years.

But in a report to the Environment Agency, Dr Stephen Morton, director of public health for the authority, said: "The Authority would request that further remedial action be proposed for the kilns or an early discontinuation of their use, irrespective of the planning decision at Padeswood.

"The decommissioning of these two wet kilns appears to be dependent on the installation of a further dry kiln at Padeswood.

"If this kiln was not built, it is not clear what the medium to long term plans for the two kilns are."

He added: "Given the relatively poor performance of these kilns for emissions of sulphur dioxide and particulate matter, in relation to industry benchmark standards, it would be difficult to support the continued use without further remedial measures."

The authority found during its investigations into Integrated pollution prevention and control regulations at the Ribblesdale cement works that the overall results were "reassuring".

Dr Morton said there was most concern about sulphur dioxide which was well above the industry benchmark range.

For the dry kiln at the plant, Dr Morton said emissions were within the environmental quality standards but that carbon monoxide emissions were not within industry benchmark standards.

He added extensive remedial measures had been taken to try to reduce ground level haze and odour.

The research carried out by Dr Morton found no links between Castle Cement and ill health in the Clitheroe area.

He said there was no evidence of increased levels of respiratory disease, heart disease or lung cancer.

"There are higher levels of prescribing for treatments used for asthma but lower levels of admission to hospital for asthma and other respiratory disease. The most likely explanation for this that there is more active management of asthma by local doctors and their primary care teams."

A spokesman for Castle Cement said: "This document has been prepared by the East Lancashire Health Authority for the Environment Agency from a report we prepared on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control.

"The Authority has requested action to be taken but the report does not really specify what this may entail, so it is very difficult for us to comment at this stage."