ENVIRONMENT watchdogs are examining a proposed clean-up scheme at Clitheroe's Castle Cement to see if a £4m project will be the answer to pollution problems.

And experts at the Environment Agency, formerly Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution, have asked for more details about the project before they decide if the scheme will solve problems there. Castle chiefs plan to install a state-of-the-art cleaning system in answer to problems caused when plumes of smoke from kiln chimneys at the massive factory fall to the ground in certain weather conditions.

The Environment Agency has ordered that Castle come up with a plan to solve the problems of plume grounding and, if that plan gets the go-ahead from the agency, put the scheme in operation.

The orders came after protracted rows and complaints from residents and protests groups about pollution of the air and environment around the Ribblesdale plant.

The cleaning system involves a wet scrubber to clean gases released from kilns and the company expects it will remove persistent haze associated with the release of gases.

Castle Cement has also proposed to modify a problem chimney to improve dispersion of emissions.

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