HEALTH chiefs in East Lancashire have given air quality in Clitheroe a second clean bill of health.

Director of public health Dr Steve Morton has told the Environment Agency that in his opinion air quality in the town is typical of East Lancashire. The agency conducted an in-depth survey of air quality after residents complained about Castle Cement's use of a toxic waste fuel.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph has seen a copy of the health chief's letter to the Environment Agency commenting on the results of the survey.

Last year an East Lancashire Health Authority report said a study of death rates, cancer registration rates and hospital admissions had failed to indicate any excess ill-health in the Ribble Valley.

Now Dr Morton has described air quality in Clitheroe as "fairly good and roughly in line with what you would expect for an area which has mixed urban and rural environments."

He stays in his letter: "The types of pollutants found are likely to come from a variety of sources, including local industry, motor vehicles and a range of domestic activities such as coal or wood fires and burning garden refuse."

Regarding Cemfuel, the letter adds: "There appears to be no evidence that levels of air quality show any difference whether secondary liquid fuels are being used in the manufacture of cement or when more conventional fuels such as coal are being used." But the health chief criticises pollution levels at Clitheroe Hospital and nearby Chatburn.

"Chatburn appears to have air quality which is less than average for the Ribble Valley and probably not different from urban centres elsewhere in the UK.

"Any estimation of the influence of this on the health of such a small population would be impossible to quantify.

"It is likely that levels of particulate pollution at Clitheroe Hospital have existed for many years. Nonetheless, this would appear to justify further investigation to identify the likely source and the exact nature of the particulates," the letter states.

But Dr Morton said today dust levels at the hospital did not justify moving the building or closing down nearby Castle Cement and Tarmac quarries.

"We are working with the Environment Agency, hospital authorities and the local authority to investigate the source of the dust," he said.

Ian Sutheran, general manager of the Castle Cement works, which has been at the centre of a public outcry since it started burning its controversial Cemfuel, said: "We welcome Dr Morton's comment that air quality in the Clitheroe area is good and that any emissions are not likely to have had any effect on health.

"We are also pleased that he has said that there is no evidence that the risk to health has changed as a result of burning Cemfuel."

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