What the papers say...

How the RUGBY TIMES reports 01/08/06:

SEAN LAWSON: Head of Environmental Health at RBC, and member of the panel:

"I DO not think we can draw a conclusion from the low turnout. The event was well-publicised but it's the school holidays, and it's a hot night. I would hope it's an indication that the authorities are doing a reasonable job; but I think it would be dangerous to draw sweeping conclusions.

Those who were there experienced a lively and informative debate. There were some familiar faces, but it was also very pleasing to see a number of fresh faces from the community who had not even engaged in the issue before, and who found it interesting and informative."

PAT WYATT: Parish Council Representative who lives at Long Lawford:

"I WAS disappointed with the turnout, and the fact that we HAD to apply for tickets to go to a PUBLIC MEETING! It was all a charade and I think the plant should be closed! I think if things are left to progress as they are it will only get worse!"

GARETH PREWETT: Long Lawford resident for 20 years:

"ALL 90,000 Rugby residents are guinea pigs to this experiment which is holding us to hostage.

If someone smokes and they put a filter over the cigarette it doesn't mean you won't get cancer. Rugby will be subjected to passive smoking. I see it out of my window, and see the plumes of smoke coming out of it.

The meetings are a waste of time: they use it as lip service and it is embarrassing really, and I don't agree with written questions!"

DAVID EVANS: Sustainability Director for Cemex, and long term employee of Rugby Cement, and member of the panel:

"PEOPLE have to understand we are only in the pre-application consultation stages at the moment. Cemex is trying to HELP Rugby people by getting rid of (LONDON'S) waste. The perceptions that people have are always difficult to overcome, and we offer the CHANCE for people to visit the plant to put their minds at rest. We have a school a week visiting us!!"

LILIAN PALLIKAROPOULOS: Rugby in Plume spokesperson, and member of the panel:

"THE problem with the turnout was that it was planned for the busiest week of the school holidays. Considering that this DEBATE has been going on for SEVEN years I don't think the turn out was that bad. I got good feedback.

WE have decided to PETITION the House of Lords about this issue: it is a huge CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE!

If they keep adding bits to it, like tyres and Climafuel, pollution will just get worse and worse! Cemex should THINK about bringing in more trials - as cases are NOT proven. The pollution is getting more and more each year!"

JEREMY WRIGHT MP:

"This meeting gave the public the opportunity to listen and to communicate. After we have a better understanding of the tyre-burning we will then move on to the Climafuel. It is hoped that the meeting explained everything in as little jargon as possible and I hope people who have come to those meeting have gone away more in the light."

Thursday evening's meeting, was chaired by MP JEREMY WRIGHT, and included on the panel: Rugby/Cemex David Evans; RBC EHO Sean Lawson; Friends of the Earth Lesley James: Ian Withers Environment Agency; Lilian Pallikaropoulos Rugby in Plume. Cemex wants to burn CLIMAFUEL - essentially household waste, (including plastic); and tyres - and claims it could reduce the amount of waste going to landfill sites. A FORMAL APPLICATION for permission to trial Climafuel will be made at the end of September when public feedback has been collected. However campaigners say their health could be affected by the burning of alternative fuels.

CEMEX TO BE SENTENCED AT CROWN COURT WARWICK 25TH AUGUST:
Firm in guilty plea on fallout, but powers of punishment in Rugby ruled insufficient:

Cemex pleaded guilty at Rugby Magistrate's Court on 26th July after the Environment Agency brought a charge when the plant exceeded emission (by an estimated FIVE TONNES of particulate) and is to be sentenced after a fallout which left homes and cars covered in a layer of dust on October 14th last year.


LETTERS
The Cemex debate rumbles on:

Gareth Prewett:

"Cllr Craig Humphrey's remark that the meeting was not as well attended as a meeting in Church Lawford a few years ago regarding the proposed airport tells you all that is needed to know about Rugby Borough Councillors. Had he taken the trouble to glance around the hall before making this wholly unnecessary remark, which only succeeded in giving Cemex an unexpected fillip, he would have noticed that no more than 6 out of 48 councillors could be bothered to turn up for this very important meeting.

It would appear that their concern and social conscience does not involve getting out of their chairs even for something as serious as this. Thankfully many unpaid but obviously more socially aware members of the rate-paying public did attend."

Lilian Pallikaropoulos

"The battle over whether the unsuitably located Rugby Cement co-incinerating plenty is the Best Practicable Environmental Option for the burning of London's waste, and waste tyres, has yet to be won. The campaign by Rugby in Plume is not about tyres, but about the principle of establishing the cement plant as a Co-incinerator, thus opening the floodgate to waste co-disposal.

The original planning application had no mandatory environment impact assessment and the burning of waste materials was specifically ruled out, but now we have this "change of use" to co-incinerator: by stealth! The dirty old cement plant made 300,000 tonnes of clinker a year, and this new one about 1,850,000 tonnes, with more than 700 heavy lorries on Rugby's streets each day.

In simple terms the monstrous 21st century plant gives out overall more toxic emissions than the old one, and apart from a reduction in sulphur dioxide, is not the "improvement" that the gullible and vulnerable Rugby residents were falsely promised.

Rugby in Plume now petitions the House of Lords in the hope they will be able to rectify this gross environmental travesty that has blighted the town of Rugby for residents and visitors alike."