A TEMPORARY ban on trial burning of "alternative" waste in cement kilns has been welcomed by clean air campaigners in the Ribble Valley.

The Environment Agency has blocked the tests until a policy is agreed on trials for waste fuels, such as secondary liquid fuels and other alternative fuels.

The move does not affect the burning of the controversial Cemfuel by Castle Cement.

However, it comes just months after the company said it was considering burning waste, such as carpet cut-offs, tyres, textiles and packaging, at its Clitheroe works.

An agency spokesman said: "The House of Commons' Environment Select Committee report recommended blocking any new trials of substitute fuels and the Environment Agency has taken that on board.

"It doesn't affect any existing trials or the burning of Cemfuel at Castle Cement." The Ribble Valley clean-air group, Airwatch, is backing the agency's decision for a halt on trials.

Spokesman Mrs Mary Horner said: "If this move had been introduced five years earlier Castle Cement would never have been given permission to burn Cemfuel.

"If the agency gets it right this time it will make it difficult for Castle Cement to burn the carpet cut-offs, packaging and tyres they have announced they intend to burn."

Castle Cement outlined its intention to apply to burn other waste forms in a recent variation notice, but will not submit an application until its £4 million fume clean-up scrubbing system begins operating next year.

A Castle Cement spokesman said it would be at least a year before it applied for permission to burn other alternative fuels and, by that stage, the agency's policy would be clear.

The company flagged up its intention to burn alternative fuels in its variation notice for changes in pollution controls at its Ribblesdale works.

The main purpose Castle Cement applied for the variation notice was to install its gas scrubber system.

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