A GOVERNMENT report which gives a clean bill of health to the controversial Cemfuel has been slammed by Conservative MP for Ribble Valley Nigel Evans.

And Mr Evans has vowed to push for an early meeting with ministers to discuss his concerns.

The Government's newly-published response to the Environment Select Committee's report last year into the burning of secondary liquid fuels in cement kilns, indicated that fuels such as the hazardous waste fuel Cemfuel is safe, and can be burnt without harming human or animal life in any way.

In the report, the Government states that it has all the necessary information on public health to back-up those conclusions.

But Mr Evans feels that a full health survey should be carried out around Castle Cement and the Ribble Valley to make sure and to set people's minds at rest.

He said: "I am not happy with this report, which I feel does not answer any of the questions which have been raised by my constituents over the last few years.

"I am extremely disappointed that the Environment Agency will not commission a health survey. "In the original monitoring exercise, no local doctors were consulted and no tests were done.

"Surely the best way to get data of this sort is by consulting local doctors.

"If they are not going to carry out a public health test then this is the very least they can do."

Mr Evans is also concerned about the forthcoming public inquiry which has been ordered after Castle cement lodged an appeal against the time scale involved in its own clean-up operation over plume grounding.

He said: "I will continue pressing the relevant ministers to ensure that Castle Cement have to implement the measures contained in the clean-up order on time."

Castle Cement has welcomed the news from the Government.

A spokesman said: "It is clear that these secondary liquid fuels can be burned very successfully subject to proper controls and careful monitoring.

"We trust people will be reassured by the Government's view that alternative fuels have been found to prove no threat to health.

"The company will, of course, continue its own thorough monitoring."

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