Dear Sir or Madam,

We realise that you have to make an imminent decision regarding Castle Cement's application to burn hazardous waste, including paint, plastics, chemical wastes and old tyres, using a 361ft high kiln (chimney).

Such a decision cannot be taken lightly, as a great deal of technical, chemical, and medical knowledge is required. Your decisions will affect the short and long term health of both this and future generations. We are concerned about all health groups. However, young children who are in the vicinity all day, and the elderly, would be highly susceptible to any atmospheric pollution and there are three primary and two nursery schools in the immediate vicinity of the proposed kiln.

You have recently been elected to look after the interests of local people. We, on behalf of the great majority of local residents, urge you to take in to account the views, on the grounds of public anxiety, as opposed to the financial interests of a hazardous waste burning company whose primary interest is economic profit.

Below are listed 10 points which substantiate our views and can be supported by medical research, mainly commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1) Dioxins
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently classed the most toxic dioxins as the worst known human carcinogens (cancer causing agents). Dioxins also affect the immune system, fertility, and the unborn child. Because of this, the USA has reduced their safety levels for Dioxins to 100 times below the UK safety level. The EPA concluded "Exposure to Dioxins, even at minute levels, poses cancer risks and health concerns wider than previously suspected". Dioxins would be among the emissions from the new kiln.

2) Particulates
These are extremely small particles which enter the lungs directly as they are too small to be filtered out. At Castle Cement's Clitheroe plant in August 1995 the official monitoring of particulates was 70mg/m3 whereas an independant monitoring showed 490mg/m3 at a school downwind from the plant. At this school 22% of 8 - 9 year olds used inhalers, compared with an upwind school where only 3% of children used them. Castle Cement's predicted particulate emissions are 63 tonnes p.a. (Castle Cement's Environmental Statement).

3) Unpredictability of Plume
Castle Cement admits that they cannot guarantee where the plume from the tower will ground. Their prediction of windspeed and direction is based upon Speke Airport's wind data (1976-1980), unbelievable though this may seem. Speke Airport is north of an estuary causing conditions to be totally different from Padeswood.

4) Heavy Metals
EPA states that heavy metals do not incinerate and the metal emissions from incinerators pose a significant health risk. The new kilns would be producing heavy metals in the emissions - most of them are toxic to humans.

5) General Health Problems
One study of commercial hazardous waste incinerators in the USA showed an increase of 50% - 100% in coughing phlegm, sore throats, and eye irritation near the incinerators, while another study showed a marked concentration of larynx cancer in a community within 2 km of a commercial hazardous waste incinerator.

6) Lack of Research
For the vast majority of chemicals, we have little or no long term toxicity data. Fewer that 2% of chemicals have been tested. However, WHO reports recent evidence that 10,000 people in England and Wales die prematurely each year from respiratory or heart conditions due to particulates and MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries) show dioxin levels to be 4 times higher than normal at Clitheroe where prescriptions for asthma have risen 50% since they started burning wastes.

7) Cement Kilns are prone to Upsets and Trips
Dr Rickard (Professor of Environmental Health) states that "cement kilns do not have the necessary reliability and safeguards to ensure complete destruction of hazardous wastes". Castle Cement has had many such 'trips' in the past* - these would be disastrous if burning hazardous wastes. Castle Cement would be left to police their own operations largely and have previously outlined their priorities (in order of priority) to be:
            1) Efficient productivity i.e. profits;
            2) Quality of Cement;
            3) The safety of their employees and residents.
We might typically expect the need for profit to override safety considerations.

Note* Recent information provided by the Environment Agency Wales shows that, in 1999, there were 35 'trips' at Padeswood to 8th October.

8) Hidden Costs
Castle Cement and the Environment Agency have admitted that they cannot measure hidden costs to the vicinity if the new kiln is built. Our Council representatives must therefore undertake the assessments of these costs. We urge you to consider:
            *        The visual blight and resulting drop in property values;
           *        People leaving the area - there is already evidence for this;
            *        The deterrent to firms who might otherwise have moved to this area;
            *        Lowering of living standards and quality of life.

9) Threat to Employment
The proposed chimney at Castle Cement is opposed by British Aerospace, as it will block their flight path. Will British Aerospace reconsider future expansion plans at Broughton unnecessarily risking thousands of jobs at the factory?

Hawarden Airport is also planning to expand their operations and will experience similar difficulties with 'blocked' flight paths.

10) Stress
With the increase in noise, traffic on local roads, and respiratory and other health problems, there is likely to be an increase is stress related illnesses in the local population. Incidentally, only 6 out of approximately 160 employees of Castle Cement live locally.

As elected representatives you shoulder the responsibility for our health and well being. If you approve this application you are giving permission for a toxic waste incinerator to be built in our community with the associated long term health risks not only to the present generation but to generations to come. We, therefore, strongly urge you to reject this application.

Yours faithfully,

The Campaign Against the New Kiln
 
 

For more information, would like to add your own views, or if you have any further web links you would like us to include,  please email us at:  feedback@cank.org.uk .