Thursday 9 December 2010

NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE AT RUGBY CEMEX?


New Bilton Green Party (a local ward party of Rugby Green Party) have written to the Environment Agency to demand answers over concerns raised by local residents in New Bilton with the local Green Party over pollution and health fears from 'smoke' emanating from the CEMEX Plant, which is in the middle of New Bilton and Rugby (70,000 population) on Sunday 5th December.

CEMEX a massive multinational are burning a combination of tyres and waste at the plant to provide a cheap fuel to make cement and have faced numerous actions by the Environment Agency including massive fines over its operations in the town.

As the letter (below) sent to the Environment Agency’s Officer David Hudson covering the Lawford Road site, indicates the plant has recently (August 2010) suffered an uncontrolled fire at its waste storage facility and local residents are understandably concerned - We in the Green Party also share these concerns!

To: 'David Hudson'
Subject: New Bilton residents concerns

Dear David

A number of local residents from New Bilton have been in contact with ourselves to raise concerns about the amount and nature of what appeared to be smoke emanating from the CEMEX Plant in Lawford Road Rugby on Sunday 5th December 2010.

I personally also witnessed the unusual colour, quantity, behaviour and direction of the smoke, but was unable to make contact with the Environment Agency at the time due to the need to deal with other important issues, but did remark to the person I was with at the time my concerns.

I would ask you to provide full details of any investigation that the Environment Agency may have undertaken and the outcome. Please also confirm that the local residents who made contact with you have also been provided with this detailed information as well?

We note in the ‘Environment Agency Update number 4’ (August 2010) to the Community Cement Engagement Group (an organisation we may add unfortunately largely discredited in the eyes of many local people due to the removal of local skilled environment groups) of a recent fire resulting from the storage of waste for burning at the plant and we would ask you to provide a detailed response on the outcome of your investigation of this incident.

Please note, we will forward your response to the local residents who have contacted us and provide information for local residents in New Bilton and Rugby via our website.

Regards

Roy Sandison – New Bilton Green Party


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