CAMPAIGNERS have launched a new fight against Castle Cement, to prevent the firm feeding 100 tonnes of demolition rubble a week into its kilns at Clitheroe.

Castle Cement has applied to recycle construction waste, including concrete roof tiles, in its manufacturing process in kiln seven at the Ribblesdale works.

Protesters are also opposing the form's application to burn controversial Cemfuel, the solvent waste fuel, at the works, which was recently fitted with a £5 million gas scrubber.

Campaigner Mary Horner, of Bolton-by-Bowland, said: "A consultation document for Castle Cement's application to burn Cemfuel in its kiln seven, as well as the construction waste, has been produced.

"But construction waste can include anything from asbestos dust to contaminated soil.

"Residents have been given no indication whatsoever of the potential exta risks to their health or environment."

Protest group Air Watch is claiming a judgement under the European Convention of Human Rights last February had set a precedent similar to the situation in Clitheroe.

That case went against the Italian government for not providing environmental and health information to residents near a chemical works.

But a spokesman for the Environment Agency said the organisation had done everything required by law to keep the general public informed. And a Castle Cement representative pointed out the firm had applied to recycle the construction waste, not burn it.

The Environment Agency spokesman said: "We have not withheld information from the general public and will consider any relevant comments during the consultation period. We have done what was required by law.

"Extensive monitoring has also not revealed any significant problems with health or the environment in the locality."

Ian Sutheran, Castle Cement's general manager, said: "The application makes it quite clear that we are not applying to burn general construction waste and have no plans to burn any of the materials referred to by Air Watch.

"What we have applied to do is use small quantities of construction materials that can successfully be recycled in cement kilns, such as concrete roof tiles that are made mainly from raw materials already used in cement manufacture.

"We have applied to use up to 100 tonnes a week of these materials as a direct replacement for the limestone we use as a raw material for cement.

"In making the application, we are responding to requests to recycle materials as a result of the landfill tax

"If the application is successful, it will reduce both the need for quarried limestone and the unnecessary landfilling of inert construction materials that could be successfully recycled."

The Environment Agency spokesman was unable to say when a decision on the application would be made.

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