MP in call to close kilns
RIBBLE VALLEY MP Nigel Evans today urged the Environment Agency to shut down Castle Cement's controversial Cemfuel kilns - if the firm failed to prevent further leaks of noxious smells.

And Pendle MP Gordon Prentice has also called for tougher measures to monitor the Clitheroe firm.

They spoke out after the Environment Agency was forced to issue an enforcement notice on Wednesday which gave the company four hours to deal with noxious smells.

It was the latest in a series of actions in response to complaints from local residents.

A condition of the authorisation for Castle Cement to burn Cemfuel in wet kilns five and six is a prohibition on haze and odours from them. Tory Mr Evans said: "This is totally unacceptable. Local residents should not have to put up with such odours. It has happened again and again and the company must do something to stop it.

"If they cannot deal with it properly, the Environment Agency should order a prolonged shutdown of the kilns while they make the investment to put things right."

Labour MP Mr Prentice, part of whose constituency is a few miles downwind of Castle Cement, said: "I have been dealing with complaints about Castle Cement for five or six years now. Is there no end to them?

"The firm cannot continue to allow this to happen. The Environment Agency must ensure that the firm puts the proper measures in place to stop these repeated releases of odours and associated problems."

Castle Cement general manager Ian Sutheran, said as soon as the firm knew of the problem "immediate action was taken to reduce the throughput to the kilns."

The Environment Agency said the odour had disappeared before the four-hour deadline.