AN ENVIRONMENTAL group is urging Ribble Valley residents to write to the area's MP Nigel Evans urging him to call for a public inquiry into emissions from Castle Cement's Ribblesdale works.

David Mortimer, chairman of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Friends of the Earth said the Welsh Assembly reacted to the concerns of residents who live near Castle Cement's Padeswood plant by calling a public inquiry for October.

"Yet we, who live in a valley where it is accepted that emissions come to ground are still denied this facility," he complained.

"Our MP is now asking questions, hopefully with a view to pressing for a public inquiry here, so now's the time to tell him what you feel. You won't get a better offer," he said.

Mr Mortimer, of Green Drive, Clitheroe, went on to condemn the Environment Agency for not investigating more of the complaints registered by members of the public.

He went on: "Evidence reveals that 1,105 complaints about Castle Cement were received by the agency from January 1998 to May 2000, on which the agency acted nine times -- five of these related to the 'haze and odour' condition. Mathematical geniuses will swiftly translate these into 0.81% and 0.45% of the total compared with the 30% of the 334 complaints received by Castle in 1999 which they deemed 'justified' or 'possibly justified'.

"I shudder to think how many complaints there would have been if just a few of the people who spoke to me and 'didn't bother to report' haze or odour had done so."

A Castle Cement spokeswoman said: "We are committed to improving environmental performance.

"This has been demonstrated by the Ribblesdale works' certification to the internationally recognised environmental management standard as well as the £5million kiln gas cleaning system installed two years ago. A further £8million is due to be spent on the mothballing of the works' energy-intensive kilns."

Mr Evans said: "I understand that Environment Minister Michael Meacher is closely monitoring the emissions from Castle Cement. If I am not satisfied with the results of that exercise I shall be demanding a full independent inquiry to find out what is going on."