A CEMENT company could face an unlimited fine following an unauthorised discharge into the River Ribble from a clinker heap at its Clitheroe works.

The Environment Agency launched an investigation after the leak at Castle Cement's plant was detected during a routine check by an inspector.

Tests are being carried out on samples taken from the river to find out what was in the discharged liquid which is believed to have filtered through the clinker.

The company claims the discharge was rain water and blames the leak on a blocked drainage channel.

The clinker store - surplus cement raw material from kilns stockpiled in 1990 - is currently the focus of an appeal by the company against an agency variation notice to move it within the plant's site boundary and under cover. An agency spokesman said: "I would not like to speculate on what is in the discharge, that is the reason the tests are being carried out.The next stage depends on what the results say.

"Legal action would depend on the severity and circumstances of the discharge."

The maximum fine for an illegal discharge, if dealt with by a magistrates' court, is £20,000 and the fine is unlimited if heard at crown court.

A Castle Cement spokesman said: "Heavy rainfall following an exceptionally dry period led to a quantity of surface water collecting in a blocked drainage channel at Castle Cement's Ribblesdale works on Tuesday.

"The water normally flows into the River Ribble from the drainage channel which is located on the restored part of the quarry.

"Once the channel had been cleared, the surface water followed its normal course into the Ribble where it was quickly diluted by the flow of the river."

He added that the company had reported the leak to the agency.

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