CEMEX CHRISTMAS GIFT TO RUGBY

..Is HAZARDOUS BYPASS DUST!

"I PUT BLAME AT FEET OF THE EA!"
Advertiser Editor's Viewpoint:
QUOTE: "I really don't understand what is going on between Rugby Borough Council, the Environment Agency, and Cemex. The Environment Agency is, I believe, a GUTLESS WASTE OF TIME; the borough council is CONFUSED and UNSURE; and Cemex just want to get on with their business."

POISONING?
"I do feel quite certain that if anyone at Cemex truly believed that the company was poisoning the people of Rugby then they wouldn't be doing it. On the other hand to say that the release of material which is known to be toxic into the atmosphere is harmless is not taking community responsibility seriously. The fact is that any dust circulating in the air would be undesirable and may, over prolonged periods, be adverse to one's health."

WHO IS AT FAULT?
"With questions over original permissions and historic problems, plus a responsibility to support local businesses, I don't think Rugby Councillors know which way to turn. I put the blame at the feet of the Environment Agency. They are the ones who are SUPPOSED to be POLICING these types of situations. They are supposed to be the GUARDIANS of PUBLIC SAFETY, but seem not to know their arses from their elbows. They say the latest blow out, by all accounts the worst for years, was NOT a breach of production or safety guidelines, but that they will act over one in March last year...URGH! Someone has to take charge of the situation and to get a grip. They need to make some few hard decisions once and for all, and then we can all get on with our lives without this continuous conflict. And one thing people have to realise is that Cemex is not just going to go away, and in many respects it would not be good if they did." UNQUOTE

TOXIC DUST WILL NOT HARM YOU!
RUGBY COUNCILLORS CONFUSED AND UNSURE? Three million tonnes a year of dust, cooked, and made into two million tonnes of other dust, makes DUST! All these TOXIC EMISSIONS are INEVITABLE, and permitted (Agency Permit BL7249IH August 2003 particulate , gases, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, thallium, lead, chromium, dioxins , PAH, etc) and are being emitted 24/7 and there is NOTHING anyone can do about it - except to move the plant into a RURAL AREA where it should be! Following on from the preceding unlawful IPC Permit September 1999 emissions come from the main 115 metre stack, (one million cubic metres each hour) and from the 18 Low Level Point Sources , (600,000m3/hour) as well as fugitives from various sources. In order to make 6,000 tonnes a day of cement Cemex needs to burn about 1,000 tonnes a day of various fossil and waste fuels to heat up the kiln to "cook" the approximately 6,000 tonnes of chalk ( solids in 40% sewage slurry) and clay , and various unspecified (no EU waste codes!) polluted industrial wastes as substitute raw materials , such as foundry sand, mill scale and slag etc. Inevitably the volatiles are driven off from this process, creating particulate/dust, with absorbed heavy metals, mercury, arsenic, volatile organic carbons etc in hundreds of tonnes a day of waste gas. The raw materials all contain these toxic pollutants (some more than others which is why the row is going on over the uses of so many tonnes of wastes instead the usual raw material) and they are driven off during the process, and some are what they call "safely bound up in the clinker" .


There is debate over this "safe binding" as then the clinker is ground into cement dust in the mills which vent nearer to the plant and residents due to the low stack heights. It is permitted to run the plant for many hours with no EMISSION LIMITS - such as on startups and shutdowns to 200 tph raw meal. The EA is powerless because this is what the permit IT HAS GRANTED says! So why do they not write a better permit? Which is what we suggested to the House of Lords. The old plant only ever burnt 50 tph so from that you can see the scale of the problem - the new plant is not even considered as "started and ready to be regulated" until four times more - at 200tph! They were also allowed dispensation under the WID permit for SEVENFOLD INCREASED emission limits on TOCs , and on sulphur, over and above the WASTE INCINERATOR DIRECTIVE limits, as they said the extra emissions were caused by the raw materials, and not from the waste burning. What difference does it make to the people on whom it falls as to whether the pollution comes from tyres, coal, or raw materials - it is still the same - POLLUTION!

* NO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT !
* NO PUBLIC CONSULTATION ever for this plant !
* DISPERSION MODEL hidden by EA (AQMAU);
* HOW MUCH TOXIC POLLUTION is there?
* WHERE does it fall?
* WHO does it fall on?
* VULNERABLE receptors receive "UNINVITED DOSE."
* WHAT HEALTH IMPACT, long term - short term ?

CEMENT PLANT IN SMOKELESS ZONE!
In part the COURT CASES were all about whether the AGENCY should have told the TRUTH to the people, or just told them as little as possible about the emissions. The Lords decided overall, (although two were not happy about it) that the EA could hide the environmental information about the pollution, and how it will impact on people. The EA were "only in the breach of common law duty of fairness", and it would not have made a scrap of difference if they had have told the truth. (This is so obviously wrong as we could have asked for so many different better permit conditions, but instead we have years of experiments and slow so-called improvements, while emissions of some pollutants are actually increased.) The EA concealed the facts during the so-called "Tyres Consultation" - which should have included ALL ASPECTS of the emissions, and of the IPPC PERMIT - but the EA told everyone we could only discuss the "difference between main stack emissions with coal, and with tyres when the plant was under control " and "nothing else at all about emissions!" RMC, the EA and RBC Environmental Health office, who all misled, had the actual IPPC application, but instead of revealing it they all spent TWO YEARS trying to confuse everyone, and convince everyone, giving out misleading "tyre burning" documents and non-technical summaries, and holding SHAM public meetings in an attempt to "appear" open and honest, but in reality hiding the most important information. This follows on from the Agency's SECRETLY GIVEN permit of September 1999, but because the three colluded now Rugby Borough Council can do nothing, unless it comes clean and admits its part in the deception? RBC Councillors considered taking the JUDICIAL REVIEW against the Agency, but they could not because of what the officers (and some councillors?) had done. The reality is that the EA, RBC and Rugby Cement (and Warwickshire County Council also implicated) all knew there would be a permission for unquantifiable pollution, unmonitored, uncontrolled and uncontrollable, sometimes more, sometimes less, the same as at all cement plants , and that the local authority can do nothing about it as it is EXEMPT from the legislation. Slowly the truth will out, BUT WHAT, IF ANYTHING, CAN LEGALLY NOW BE DONE?

CEMEX DUST CLOUD DID HAVE HAZARDOUS WASTE
( QUOTE Rugby Advertiser 18 December)
A dust cloud that was ejected from Rugby Cement and covered homes and cars in Long Lawford on 17 November DID contain hazardous waste. But plant owners Cemex say it will not cause ANY health risks to people. (NB: Rugby residents are very tough?)

THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY has also come under fire for NOT RELEASING INFORMATION sooner, and then ONLY when it was asked by the Rugby Advertiser - and for saying that it will NOT take any action against Cemex for the dust fall-out which happened last month. (NB: not so much "will not" as "CANNOT" because during any startup and shut down however protracted no ELVs (emission limit values) apply, so the plant is basically unregulated and the EA are powerless for many hours a year, the number of which is another of the cement industry big secrets!) However the EA has said this week it will be taking legal action against the cement manufacturers for releasing dust onto homes 21 months ago. (NB: as featured this blog 18 July 2007 - 7 tonnes pulverised coal dust rained down, thickly coating property up to 3 miles away.)

COUNCILLOR NEIL SANDISON:
"The EA and Cemex seem to be living on a DIFFERENT PLANET from the residents of Rugby! We are concerned about what was in the dust and we have asked them both to give us answers, but we have heard nothing. And now the EA say they will charge Cemex over an incident in March 2007 - talk about closing the stable door once the horse has bolted!" The RUGBY COMMUNITY CEMENT FORUM has this week made an official complaint about the EA, claiming it has shown NO INTEREST in Rugby matters by not answering its questions, and not attending meetings.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY - Talking about the latest dust fall-out on 17 November - which many residents said was one of the worst in decades - the EA said the bypass dust released was MOSTLY the same as "normal clinker dust" but with a higher content of free lime, (caustic) calcium hydroxide and calcium sulphate, as well as some potassium and sodium sulphates. It went on to add that 'bypass dust is classed as hazardous because it is very alkaline' but 'not at levels likely to cause harm to the environment or human health.'

CEMEX UK's Community Affairs Manager Ian Southcott said the bypass dust was released as part of a safety measure when there is a build up of carbon monoxide. As this did not breach its permit with the EA NO LEGAL ACTION could be taken."This came as a result of the bypass electrostatic precipitator 'tripping' out due to the presence of carbon monoxide. This 'Best Available Technique for removing dust' is widely used across the cement industry and is a safety feature designed to remove any chance of an explosion." (so they save the plant and dump on us!)

CAR WASH FREE : after receiving complaints from residents the company did clean some of the affected cars - for free. Mr Southcott added the company were sorry that people were affected, but added "A small quantity of bypass dust over a large area would not cause any health hazards. We are operating under regulations in our permit and all the time we are improving emissions, but that IS NOT WHAT PEOPLE GET TO SEE! Bypass dust is classified under European regulations as HAZARDOUS due to the free lime content which can be an irritant to the skin during prolonged exposure. Essentially it is mainly partially heated raw material and consists largely of chalk. The analysis of the bypass dust collected at the time of the incident reveals tiny quantities of some metals and dioxins which are extremely low and are similar to the values that can be seen in naturally occurring raw materials such as clay and chalk."

"DIOXIN levels were below those naturally occurring in soils for example, and were less than 0.1% of a millionth of a gramme per kilogramme (0.0000000001 of a gramme).
An AIR QUALITY report prepared by Faber Maunsell for RBC concluded that during the 'time of the release' (not revealed) PM10 particulate concentrations were below the UK 24 hour mean PM10 standard throughout this period - i.e. the measurements were LESS than would be expected under NORMAL circumstances.!" (what does this mean, and where was the monitor??)

PETER CORNISH was one of the Long Lawford residents whose house and car was covered in the dust. He said "Cemex seem to do this on a regular basis, and get away with it, because the EA DO NOT SEEM TO BE BOTHERED! I know there will soon be another dust fall out - it is INFURIATING!"
UNQUOTE.


INFORMATION SHARING CANCELLED?
So much for the EA' s (empty) promise of 5 December to share information with the forum and Rugby residents! At the RCCF meeting on 8 December Cemex vehemently denied bypass dust to be hazardous, and said they grind it in with the clinker in the cement mills. They also dump it at Cell 3 Southam, 140,000 tonnes in eight years - in a non-hazardous landfil - although they have applied to WCC to have this unauthorised dumping regularised - and a hazardous waste planning permission granted. Surely this bypass dust cannot be mixed into the "cement dust", the 5 mills and seperators emit onto Rugby at 30,000 micrograms in each cubic metre - can it? Yes it can! Meanwhile how are Cemex and the EA complying with the Environment Council's genuine and far reaching proposals to "move forward together" and to "begin by sharing information"? They are not!

BYPASS DUST COMPETITION:
SPOT THE TOXIC:
EA: Cemex January - June 2008
" Free lime 24.9%; antimony; tin; cadmium; thallium; mercury; lead; chromium; copper; manganese; nickel; arsenic; cobalt; vanadium; zinc; dioxin. "

CHRISTMAS QUIZ:
BYPASS DUST is provided FREE in Rugby, and apparently " poses no health risk."
* How much of the above is essential to the human body on a daily basis as a dietary requirement?
* How much does each resident of Rugby need to breath in every day to GUARANTEE a long and healthy life?
ANSWERS NEXT YEAR!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND "HEALTHY"? NEW YEAR.

AGENCY CHRISTMAS GIFT TO RUGBY

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE EPISODE WITH LILIAN IN

FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM NOW OVERCOME
"Community engagement to START - with information sharing!"
Incredible!


THE RUGBY CEMENT COMMUNITY FORUM
MONDAY 8 DEC 6.00PM ST OSWALDS CHURCH, Lawford Road, Rugby, invites the public to attend. The RCCF has been asking for information for many years, but the Agency has even  to answer Freedom of Information and EIR requests. Are they about to do a U-turn, and to start to be be open , honest, transparent, and to engage in meaningful dialogue, with access to information?

RCCF LETTER 8th October :
"expresses concern about lack of information forthcoming from the Environment Agency, and asks formally for the outcomes of the Agency's investigations into the numerous pollution incidents to be made public, and brought to the Forum. It is becoming increasingly difficult to scrutinise the production at this plant impartially if members do not receive full evidence. It is vital if we are to be seen to be fulfilling the needs of the community by this scrutiny that we receive information regularly and as soon as it is available."

AGENCY REPLY:
CEMEX, RBC and the AGENCY have been funding the Environment Council as facilitator in trying to "start community engagement" in Rugby (yes in that same Rugby where the Agency lawyers told the House of Lords that NO ONE but NO ONE is interested or concerned about the cement plant and its operations) and to try to "move forward together". Limited progress has been made so far, after one year of struggle and endeavour, (on top of the previous seven years!!) but now the Agency has a "new bright idea" and has just informed the Forum as follows:

"You can see those records of pollution incidents on our Public Register at Rugby Borough Council, or ask the company to show them to you at your meetings. I think this ties in to our work on public engagement and I'm proposing to Cemex and RBC that we START by trying to establish protocols for the sharing of information. This seems to have been a fundamental problem in our relationship to date, and I hope that we can agree what, how and when information can be provided to the public, AND what they will use this information for. The Environment Council should be writing to stakeholders shortly to set this us."

"From the Workshop outcomes on 17th September we believe the focus at the work group should be on the exchange of information with the public. This was a common thread running through the feedback in the workshop and it is a tangible area of work that could be developed and would help further improve any future development of public engagement."

MUSHROOM SYNDROME?
The Agency finally admit what is wrong in Rugby, and the mushrooms,
aka residents, are now going to get access to information? Can it be true that the authorities finally admit that there has been no honest, transparent, open, meaningful community engagement, and no proper consultation and information sharing? So its back to the drawing board - with us all being fully informed - after ONLY eight years of asking! But SADLY it is just too late to "do anything" about the unlawfully built and operated cement co-incinerator. But they will now at least tell us about it. Nice one!

RE CHROMIUM VI EMISSIONS:
CEMEX DAVENPORT SHUT DOWN
AGENCY SAYS: We allow a work place exposure of 50 micrograms/m3 per eight hour day. We have no information on chromium VI emissions from the Cemex plant, and it has no specific limit at the plant in any case. Total heavy metals including chromium (and antimony, arsenic, lead, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel and vanadium) are limited to 0.5mg/m3 and is required to be "sampled" only four times a year. The UK's Environment Action Level is 0.1 micrograms per metre cubed as an annual average and we think it unlikely to get to that level as the Dispersion Model for metals shows a ground level concentration of 0.000119 micrograms/m3.

CEMENT MILL EMISSIONS TREBLE CHROMIUM VI:
"Cement mill emissions are "controlled" by a limit on particulate matter of 30 mg/m3." This actually means to say the EA "put a limit on", but there is no way it is controlled at all, and often exceeds. In any case it is only sampled TWICE a year. BUT using a worst case
emission of CHROMIUM from the cement mills in the "clinker dust" the chromium in the ambient air is INCREASED THREE FOLD to 0.0003 micrograms.
"The Chromium VI is from the processing of raw materials, and we would expect the operator to keep chromium content to a minimum. There would be no commercial attraction for Cemex to use raw materials with a significant chromium content in Rugby."

NO AMBIENT AIR MONITORS!
"The problems at Davenport are a problem for the USA EPA, but suggest a breakdown in raw materials quality control. The EA have not 'found' anything similar
at Rugby." Question: Have you looked? "ERR, well, no, not actually."

UPDATE ON LATEST DUST:
EA not able to prosecute for 17 November thick coating of dust as it was QUITE LEGAL and IN ORDER - from a four-minute ESP trip. The EA has no LEG TO STAND ON, and no legal basis on which to proceed further because, as frequently happens, Cemex say they were either starting up, or shutting down, and thus NO EMISSION LIMITS were in place at the time. So its TOO BAD and TOUGH LUCK RUGBY! Free feather dusters to be distributed to all?

NEW APPLICATIONS
include requests to extend the start up and shut down periods, when no ELVs are in place, which allow all these dust and pollution incidents to go on with no punishment, prosecution or reprimand. They want longer hours without limits, and also waste burning to occur during periods of instability.
The WASTE CLIMAFUEL/RDF is also to have a much larger range of calorific values and also to have much higher contents of pollutants and such as chlorine - which assists in the formation of the deadly dioxins.
NEW INFORMATION SHARING
And were the Rugby residents ever consulted, or even informed about any of this? You guessed it!

RugbyTown.org has a YouTube channel!

I have had a blog for a little while now and am noticing it's usefulness in archiving the vast amounts of data collected around the Cemex cement plant and it's operations.

Publishing the information online also allows anyone interested or affected to hop on and have a read.  Together we can rally around these issues, pool ideas and information to ensure no environmental laws are broken.

Never underestimate the power of social media when fighting the good fight. I get emails of support from all over the world from others also wanting to bring awareness and point out that sometimes big industry does not play by the rules and it is the local population who suffer for this.

It can mean an increase of unnecessary traffic, road noise, pollution from various sources, all on your doorstep.

All people should be entitled to a safe and secure home for their family. You did not choose for the goalposts to be moved on ever increasing emission limits and unmeasured invisible pollutants. You deserve the right to breath air that does not slowly poison you.

I feel it is time to take this protest up a gear. This is why I have started a YouTube video channel.

Please feel free to join the discussion both here and over on YouTube.

Be informed, be active. Do something to protect your family's health.

You can view the YouTube channel here.. 

http://uk.youtube.com/user/rugbytowninplume

Pluming Awful

THIS IS NOT FOG.. THERE WAS NO FOG ON THIS DAY.

28TH NOVEMBER 2008

MP CALLS FOR DUST EXPLANATION:

Rugby MP Jeremy Wright is demanding a full explanation from Cemex over claims of another dust fall out from the plant. Several home owners in Long Lawford reported cars being showered in dust last Monday, some claiming it was the worst covering ever.

And now Mr Wright has asked company bosses to explain the fallout and is seeking urgent talks with the environment agency, which is investigating the incident. "I am becoming increasingly concerned with these incidents" Mr Wright said. "Of course it is true that things will occasionally go wrong in every industrial process, but Cemex have a particular responsibility to maintain the highest standards due to the plant's closeness to residential areas. It is highly inconvenient to people living near the plant to have dust on their cars and other property, but it is also perfectly rational for them to worry about what goes into their lungs. I have asked the management of the Cemex plant for an early explanation of this incident and I will be speaking next week to the Environment Agency about the action they intend to take. If the facts warrant it prosecutions should be brought against Cemex."
Reported in the Rugby Observer 27th November 2008.

PUBLISHED LETTER - DUST - CHROMIUM VI?

With the tedious regularity we have come to expect, Long Lawford and the surrounding area is yet again this week covered with thick, possibly dangerous dust. Cemex, the usual culprit for these health threatening assaults on our community have immediately taken their expected stance of “not our fault guv” unless of course you can prove it! The Environment Agency, possibly with an eye on easing Cemex’s ongoing plans for a massive refuse processing plant in Rugby, have likewise adopted the time honoured approach of saying they are carrying out tests on the dust, thus taking weeks to come up with a decision, and hoping the residents will have forgotten about it over the excessive period taken, then arriving at the blindingly obvious culprit of the fallout.

We may however be treated to one of the bizarre explanations they tend the favour recently in their desperate attempt to remove any blame from Cemex. Who can forget the recent explanation that pollen was the culprit, or the hilarious Sahara desert sand incident, where we were expected to believe that sand was lifted up from the Sahara desert, blown across the Mediterranean Sea, up the Bay of Biscay, across the Home Counties and London and was then deposited squarely onto Rugby, really!

There is however a serious side to all this, Cemex have recently had issues in Davenport in America where their cement plant was closed for a long period of time due to the local residents being exposed to 10 times the safe level (if there is such a thing) of Chromium 6, which is found in the cement process. This substance has known long term carcinogenic effects, and is the subject of possible legal action by the residents. To date, several concerned residents have written to the Environment agency to enquire if this substance is monitored in any fashion by the Agency at the Rugby plant and have met a wall of silence, I personally have contacted the Agency twice on this matter and have yet to receive a reply. I would strongly advise anybody with concerns for their families’ welfare to contact the agency as a matter of urgency and try and establish their criteria for checking the levels of this substance at the site, silence is not always golden, neither, as the residents of Davenport thought, is it safe just to assume that the plant is in safe hands because a Government Agency is tasked with monitoring it.

ITS PLUMING AWFUL!

WATCH:"THE BARRISTERS" BBC 2 FRIDAY 9.00 PM DECEMBER 5th..

IT FEATURES RUGBY'S BATTLE FOR CLEAN AIR!"

CARTEL?
CEMEX OFFICES RAIDED:
by European Union Competition Authority, in the UK and in Germany, (along with Lafarge )on suspicion of PRICE FIXING and operating a CARTEL. (4 Nov)  The cement industry was previously fined millions for operating as a cartel, dividing up cement markets and sharing information, according to EU competition documents.

CEMEX IN TROUBLE WORLD WIDE
Things are not going well for Cemex: President  Hugo Chavez seized Cemex plants in Venezuela and so far has not paid the demanded $1.3 billion in compensation. Chavez  said on TV that  Cemex fixed the price of cement, controlled the market, prevented the poor from getting houses,  and also polluted the air and the children's lungs. Also the BARRINGTON  Cambridge cement works is to close, with 87 redundancies, as it is suddenly  inefficient  and uncompetitive. It is feared that the HAZARDOUS FUELS burnt there will now come to Rugby's CO-INCINERATOR,  and to South Ferriby!! Cemex is rationalising and cost-cutting to try to service massive loans incurred as it took over RINKER and has made 10% of the world wide work force redundant, and is selling off properly all over the world.

MONEY SAVER ADVICE FOR CEMEX?
RUGBY CEMENT SHOULD BE CLOSED, AND THE REAL ESTATE SOLD OFF FOR LIGHT INDUSTRY AND HOUSING!

HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT ESSENTIAL!
WORSE IS YET TO COME - and now CEMEX in PARTNERSHIP WITH WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL  want to build another WASTE BURNING and WASTE PROCESSING factory in Rugby, with yet another stack (45 metres), and semi-permanent plume of about 20 tonnes an hour, to pour out onto  this long-suffering, already disadvantaged area of "multiple  deprivation", where life expectancy, and life chances are not good! AVON VALLEY SCHOOL will be directly in line for the new fall-out, and the health-damaging PARTICULATE PM2.5 has DOUBLED there in three years since the "CO-INCINERATION " experiments began. What Did RUGBY BOROUGH COUNCIL and FABER MAUNSELL air contractors do? In June 20007, they took ALL the monitors away to ENSURE that "nobody knows"  about the increase in particulate, and the huge increase all over Rugby of exceedances of the daily objective for PM10  of 50 micrograms per metre cubed.

Meanwhile Cemex continues to breach its ENVIRONMENT AGENCY IPPC PERMIT - and to exceed the permitted ELVs for dioxin;particulate;cadmium, thallium etc etc. The Agency has threatened a £50,000 fine and/or 12 months in prison.


JEREMY WRIGHT MP FOR RUGBY:
acts as HOST for CEMEX at House of Commons Reception 20 November 7.00 pm, to mark the publication of a new book: "A CLIMATE FOR LIFE", along with Conservation International. Of course our requests for an invite have been met by stony silence. The EA says: "We have FULLY briefed MP Jeremy Wright . RBC is a hung council and its political leadership  has changed 3 times in the past 5 years. This presents a challenge to all involved!"

JEREMY QUESTIONS CAULDON SHEEP!
as the EA try to convince him that there is no need to worry at Rugby, and have  taken him to CAULDON cement plant to see "yet another typical cement plant like Rugby" - except it is  in a field full of sheep, miles from anywhere. Jeremy Wright was said to be disappointed that no-one lived within two miles, and that he could only ask local sheep what they thought about the emissions and dangers and increased risks to them and their environment and air. Disappointingly,   due to the lack of an interpretor,  Jeremy could not report back to the Rugby residents what the sheep actually said. The EA had falsely promised to trial the new DIOXIN continuous sampler at Rugby, but in the  trials at RADCLIFFE  it showed much higher readings than the conventional  twice a year (occasional on a good-day) sampling,  (OBVIOUSLY!!),  so they decided instead to trial it at Cauldon, thus ensuring no public questions as  only sheep would have to be told the result. When asked why they changed  their  minds and decided not to  protect the people of Rugby with better monitoring the Agency said "Don't you think these sheep deserve better protection as well?"  " instead of people?"   as actually is the case at Rugby!

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY UPDATE:
STILL REFUSES:  to attend community meetings; to answer any questions; provide information even under the Freedom of Information Act; discriminates against  any member of the public who asks questions; cannot monitor for chromium VI; puts burden of proof onto public etc.

SENSITIVE ISSUES AND CONTENTIOUS SITES:
"We continue to receive regular requests for information from Mrs P who since January 2005 has been treated as a VEXATIOUS COMPLAINANT in accordance with our Complaints  and Commendations Policy. MRS P has been informed that we will only provide a response if her query related to a specific consultation, a pollution incident, or comes from the Rugby Cement Community Forum. (which the EA REFUSES TO ATTEND or to answer!) However MRS P is now using the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental nformation Regulations to seek extensive information not just about Rugby Cement, but also other sites e.g Castle cement at Ribblesdale. We are DISCUSSING how we will deal with such requests!" PAUL QUINN EA: 28th April 2006

DAVIDS AND RUGBY CEMENT!
WHO IS TO BLAME?
* DAVID HUDSON - EA "responsible"  for construction of works, IPC etc  since 1996.
* DAVID SHELDON - EA's writer of IPPC Permit, and several witness statements.
* DAVID ELVIN - EA's QC.
* DAVID EVANS - Rugby Cement's expert: "only harmless steam and CO2 come out of stack!"
* DAVID EDWARDS - began  Rugby case on legal aid, but had to drop out due stress and ill health.
* DAVID WOLFE - Matrix Chambers.

LANDMARK CHAMBERS LAUNCH CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LAW?

Do these people think they can flit from defendant client to defendant client and then promote themselves as campaigners? I understand those barristers who don't get personally involved in the issues, and simply act as advocates, but I'm not clear how you can have it both ways???

"LANDMARK CHAMBERS Centre for Environmental Law will create a forum for discussion and commentary on all matters relating to environmental law, drawing on the expertise of chambers' practitioners and some of the most highly respected legal academics in the UK and overseas. The Centre will aim to keep legal practitioners abreast of developments in this fast moving area of law."

ACADEMIC PANEL: will draw on the expertise of leading thinkers in the field, currently comprises of Prof. Malcolm Grant, President & Provost of University College London, and one of the leading environmental lawyers and academics in the country, Dr Liz Fisher, Dr Bettina Lange and Eloise Scotford of Oxford University, Professor Robert Lee of Cardiff University, Cinnamon Carlarne of the University of South Carolina, USA and Richard Moules of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University.

EXECUTIVE TEAM: comprising members of Landmark Chambers of whom the key representatives are barristers DAVID ELVIN QC(Chairman), James Maurici and Gwion Lewis and Joanna Poulton, Chambers Chief Executive.

"Environmental issues are a major concern today and the development of environmental law is one of the key mechanisms in securing the management of climate change, limiting and controlling pollution, managing sustainable development and in protecting our natural heritage. Our purpose in bringing together experienced academic and practicing lawyers is to stimulate legal thinking and debate, to consider the environmental issues facing us, and to make a contribution to the continuing development of this important area of modern law."

RDF IN CEMENT KILNS?
"Some danger and problems could arise as far as heavy metals are concerned, chiefly the more volatile ones due to their presence in the substituted fuels." "The mass fluxes of micro-pollutants and their origin are not yet completely understood and must be further examined." "It is evident that the use of alternative fuels can strongly worsen the emission of heavy metals pushing  them DANGEROUSLY towards  the limits." Which is WHY CEMENT PLANTS ARE NEVER BUILT IN TOWNS!
The EU reports on the negative impacts of waste burning in kilns show that although they can claim overall reduction in nitrous oxide emissions, local residents can suffer from the increases of mercury, lead and cadmium, plus PAH/PCBs and dioxin in the air.

TOXIC DUST FROM CEMEX?

THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ARE TESTING TOXIC DUST IN RUGBY?

YES WE CAN!
ON SECOND THOUGHTS
OH NO WE CAN'T!
WE ONLY PERMIT!

JUST A MINUTE:
while we talk without hesitation, repetition, or deviation, about CEMENT plant EMISSIONS! At first the Environment Agency's own National Laboratory Service said they could quote for the analysis of the CHROMIUM VI in the ambient air and dust downwind of the Cemex Rugby plant, but now suddenly, (seemingly after reading this blog site), they cannot! They now suggest we get help elsewhere and contact AEAT for a quote, which we have done, as instructed by the EA's own laboratory, while the EA, which is supposedly the "regulator" which is "responsible for the permitting of toxic emissions in Rugby" (and elsewhere) stands by, in blissful ignorance, "head-banging" and "not knowing"!

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY AND CEMENT PLANT WORLD IN SHOCK!
as Davenport investigation reveals very high chromium VI readings, but it is still business as usual! "We have already TOLD YOU dumbos in Rugby so many times that ALL THE RAW MATERIALS AND WASTE FUEL SUBSTITUTES used in the CO-INCINERATING CEMENT PLANTS, such as TYRES and RDF which replace COAL, and MILL SCALE and SLAG which replace iron oxide, are all the same in terms of emissions, and ALL THE SAME TO US!" says the UK's Environmental pollution permitting Agency.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY JUST GUESSING?
Maybe the Environment Agency are still wondering what chemical contents the substituted mill scale and slag actually have, as these "industrial waste alternative raw material replacements" are being merrily substituted in the UK's cement industry WITHOUT the MANDATORY EU WASTE CODES or the MANDATORY DUTY OF CARE NOTES - so maybe the Environment Agency are actually in the same position as the rest of the UK - JUST GUESSING!. Perhaps its time for a little science lesson for the Agency, which for so long has poured scorn on the Rugby residents, scoffing at us, and dismissing our genuine concerns?

TOXIC DUST FROM CEMEX?
The answer is blowing in the wind - see Nov/Dec 2008 edition of THE HIGHLANDER from the Bonny Doon, as it explains how the hexavalent chromium was discovered in the air at the local elementary school, where the internal air is now being analysed. Young people are much more at risk, and it accumulates in the body and is one of the causes of lung cancer. The Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District (MBUAPCD) is now studying the Cemex operations and air quality impacts with a view to allowing the plant to start up again. Visit www.mbuapcd.org/index.cfm/Cat/67.htm to learn more. Ed Kendig apparently told the Santa Crux Sentinel: "We have to remember it will take a long period of stable operations and monitoring before we can draw conclusions about how satisfactory the Davenport plant's emissions are."

ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL UPDATE:
Despite the Rugby Cement Community Forum being told by Cemex on 8 October 2008 that there was NO chance of any funding for the planned September/early October meeting of the FOCUS GROUP, which gained endorsement and support at the WORKSHOP 17 September, and that the community should "pay for it ourselves", a change of heart has occurred among the "big three". Further additional funding to add to the £25,000 already invested by the Environment Agency, Cemex and Rugby Borough Council in finding a "new way forward with open honest meaningful community engagement and timely provision of accurate independently verified data, and with a real opportunity for the local stakeholders to have a say about their environment, amenity, air quality and health" is now back on the Agenda. Watch this space.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FAILURE:
The two Cemex applications for a waste plant at either, or both, SOUTHAM or RUGBY MALPASS seem deficient, in that they have not complied with the EIA Regulations. Even WCC planners have spotted that - although they did initially accept the proposals, which have not made the mandatory BPEO assessments and have not compared the two alternative proposals. It seems these will not now be able to go to the WCC Regulatory Committee on 15 December as scheduled, and it is back to the drawing board for Cemex and GOLDERS ASSOCIATES. See WCC planning portal.



HOUSE OF LORDS TOLD
"NO-ONE BUT LILIAN IN RUGBY OR IN
THE WHOLE WORLD,
CARES ABOUT CEMENT PLANT EMISSIONS!"
by gullible, or loyal, or misdirected, or misinformed, or misunderstanding, scientifically-challenged Agency lawyers : in order to extort costs! Meanwhile the five Lords, in their wisdom, have handed down a most "peculiar and controversial" judgment in which they could not even agree between themselves on most of what they had heard, and some of them seem to think that "secret communications" behind the public's back, in order to prevent environmental, and air quality information about health damaging toxic pollutants from getting into the public arena, is quite OK by them, and is only the expected and usual course of the UK's government departments.

* Para 54: LORD HOFFMAN: "But the present case does not involve the construction of anything, so in my view falls outside of the EIA Directive." Err - so excuse me but how do they get the wastes into the plant then? What are these new constructions , that have been nodded through by the WCC planning department (see WCC web 23 January 2003), buildings presumably invisible to the eye of some judges?

* Para 84: LORD MANCE: "Second the plan to change to tyre burning did in any event involve not inconsiderable physical adaptation of the company's site and plant..... covered reception area with sprinklers for 300 tonnes tyres (now 600 tonnes!), mechanical conveyors, metering system, airlocks, and new combustion chamber." Lord Mance has done his homework, and sees quite clearly.

* Para 30: "There is an unchallenged finding of fact that the ONLY change in operation proposed by the application, namely the use of TYRES, would not have significant negative effects on human beings or the environment", totally ignoring the actual facts of the case regarding the turning of the works into a full scale co-incinerator, which then allowed unlimited substitution by various WASTE FUELS. Ignoring also the HEALTH EFFECTS of the substitution of the various raw materials by INDUSTRIAL WASTES that were discretely added, unseen, into the (hidden) IPPC application. There was only one closely-guarded copy in Rugby, at the Borough Council's so-called Environmental Health Department, and no-one got any chance to see that until after the consultation was closed - while they kept on holding sham-meetings, and giving out misleading and false information and non-technical summaries (the kid's version?) about tyre burning and about NONE OF THE OTHER WASTES that were included in the IPPC application!!

* Para 64: "In the present case there was no breach of European Law, and the ONLY breach of domestic law was the FAILURE TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION about the predicted effects of emissions." Well done for that recognition that it does not matter to mislead the public and not to tell the truth about environmental impacts.

* Para 64: "Since then, however, the actual emissions from the plant have been monitored." Err.. no my noble lord, sorry yet again but , the emissions from the plant have NEVER been monitored, nor has any attempt to monitor them ever been made!

WHAT EVER NEXT?
A little bird told me that the Environment Agency's own lawyers have now suddenly decided that "environmental issues are indeed serious concerns!" Not then their usual dismissive approach. They plan a yet more devious trick planned in order to "infiltrate groups, and to keep an eye on the public", and that they, in order to poach work from long-standing dedicated environmental public interest lawyers are setting up a new department. This will then "co-incidentally" enable them to mislead, and to spy on the campaign groups, and to "keep the enemy closer to them". They now propose to run with the fox, and hunt with the hounds, by setting up an ENVIRONMENTAL LAW DEPARTMENT to assist the members of the public who are concerned and weary and wary of being polluted by - the Environment Agency and those it purports to regulate. STRANGER THAN FICTION!

CEMEX SHUT DOWN!

DAVENPORT CLOSED!

Image copyright Jodi Frediani

WHAT IS GOING ON?
APPARENTLY the people who live DOWNWIND and near the CEMEX DAVENPORT USA plant are being POISONED and EXPOSED to a TEN-FOLD CANCER risk due to the CEMEX operations. Cemex have been forced to shut down the KILN, and LOW LEVEL POINT SOURCES in MILLS etc and the TRANSPORT - because the authorities in the USA believe the CANCER-CAUSING CHROMIUM VI is being emitted from everywhere!

CHROMIUM VI: GOOGLE IT! FIND OUT! for yourself, DON'T take my word for it!
Search: Cemex; Davenport,USA; chromium VI/hexavalent chromium; mill scale; slag; Rugby Cement; CANCER!

SEARCH AND YOU WILL FIND!
..that ANY replacement by "alternative fuel" in co-incinerating cement plants REQUIRES (sham) trials, like the 700 - 1,000 TONNES each day at Rugby; BUT the raw materials have NO trials when substituted by "industrial wastes" with NO EU WASTE CODES and NO DUTY OF CARE NOTES!


SUBSTITUTE RAW MATERIALS IN SECRET
So WHAT exactly causes the EXCEEDANCES (ten- fold) of CANCER-CAUSING pollutant?
What exactly are they burning at RUGBY?
Dont't ask me, ask the UK's ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY!
IF they will answer!

VEXATIOUS! is the name given by the EA to anyone who asks questions! So "he who asks no questions will NOT be told a lie! So watch the wall my friends while the Environment Agency go by!"

(Thanks to Jodi Frediani for permission to use her photograph.)

CEMEX : SALE OF THE CENTURY?

CEMEX'S AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION COMES TO A STICKY END as Cemex try to reduce costs by £288 million by selling off assets and re-financing  the £2 billion loan it used last year to buy Australia's RINKER group. So far sales of cement, concrete and aggregate plants are anticipated in Australia, Austria and Hungary and possibly in the USA, according to the press reports, which say that product sales are down by 20-30%, or so. The Credit Crunch has hit home hard, and the loan has been restructured from 2009 to 2010 with a higher interest rate.


JOB LOSSES
worldwide equate to about 10% of the work force - about 6,000 jobs - as concrete sales flop and Cemex sells assets. In the UK Cemex has been working on efficiency; prioritising capital expenditure, and cutting back on investment in new projects  and in some cases putting them on hold;  reducing the cement and aggregate fleet to improve productivity, reducing shifts, overtime spend and head count across the business by at least 10%. Underutilised assets are to be closed and mothballed. Won't come a moment too soon for Rugby residents, who eagerly plan the street party to celebrate the permanent mothball of the monstrous plant.


WASTE PLANT PLAN: IN JEOPARDY AS CO-INCINERATOR CANNOT BE USED FOR INCINERATION ONLY -  will not meet the more restrictive Waste Incinerator Directive limits, without the cement-related exemptions it currently "enjoys", which permit much higher emissions than incinerators.

PROXIMITY PRINCIPLE?
SOUTHAM /RUGBY WAR CONTINUES:

GOING IN:
North Warwicks  42,000 tpa =  151 tpd  = 14 HGV.
Nuneaton            75,000 tpa =  270 tpd =   24 HGV
Stratford             30,000 tpa  = 108 tpd = 10 HGV
Stratford             30,000 tpa  = 108 tpd = 22 REFUSE TRUCKS.
Warwick             66,000 tpa =   257 tpd   = 20 HGV
Rugby                57,000 tpa =   205 tpd  =  42 REFUSE trucks
SUB-TOTAL    300,000 tpa = 1,099 tpd = 132 HGVs per day.
RDF                124,000 tpa = 354 tpd = 34 HGVs
TOTAL             424,000 tpa = 1,453 = 166 HGVs?


GOING OUT
250,000 tpa - 713 tpd = 68 HGVs to the Cemex co-incinerator.
70,000 tpa - 210 tpd to landfill
35,000 tpa - 107 tpd to recycle
335,000 tpa - 1,030 tpd


TOTAL POLLUTION/GAS/AIR/WATER/ETC DRIED OFF AND VENTED OVER RUGBY 400  tonnes each day!! Why bring in about 1,500  tonnes waste daily  then DRY one third of it off over our heads with all these POLLUTANTS in it - nearly 20 tonnes an hour over us from a 45 metre stack with a semi-permanent plume?  And that is without counting the Cemex co-incinerator emissions from the 30 tonnes an hour of refuse burning - for which they have no IPPC Permit as yet!

SENSITIVE LORRY MILE ASSESSMENT:
In a detailed planning application for a half a million tonne a year waste plant one would expect the required  assessment of the SENSITIVE LORRY MILES which involve the costing to the community, infrastructure, health service etc of the different lorry routes to be used. Obviously the motorway miles are priced most cheaply  as they do the least damage to the environment, where as those miles in small country lanes are more costly  to the public, and those in towns, especially  in air quality management areas, are even more costly adding as they do to the damage
to the infrastructure, the environment, pollution, air quality problems and associated health damage.



LAING RAIL REPORT April 2004 as submitted is five years out of date, and only considered the 140 clay lorries each day, and is not relevant to this new proposal. The railway needs to be re-assessed as an alternative form of transport and  the SOUTHAM site shows there would be much less environmental, air quality and health damage if that site were to be used, AND even more if  the rail link re-opened. It would take off the road some 140 clay lorries each day, and the RDF 160, so say 300 HGVs a day on a 30 mile round trip. That would save about 4,500 lorry miles each day on small B roads and in the town of Rugby.
How much pollution is that - tail pipe, brakes and tyres, and the SAVING of 4,5000 miles a day of fossil fuels?  No attempt has been made to seriously address the total lorries and the pollution that could be avoided.

CEMEX HITS THE BUFFERS

AS RESIDENTS START TO FIGHT BACK!LONG LAWFORD PARISH COUNCIL decided last night that the planning application for the half million tonne waste plant was a step too far. They threw it out unanimously on many varied grounds, including : the air quality deterioration; increased health risk; fire risk; transport  and pollution impact of the hundreds more Heavy Goods Vehicles; danger to public health of the bacteria emissions from the planned  MBT in an urban area; unsuitability of location; already high levels of
industrial emissions;  cumulative total of environmental and pollution impacts of Cemex operations; Health Impact Assessment required!.

SOUTHAM IS THE ONLY POSSIBILITY! THE DISUSED RAILWAY MUST BE RE-OPENED - IT WAS SAFE-GUARDED FOR RUGBY CEMENT'S USE AT A COST OF MILLIONS TO THE PUBLIC! THIS WOULD REMOVE 400,000 + DAILY LORRY MILES BETWEEN SOUTHAM/RUGBY!

CEMEX IN BIG TROUBLE -DAVENPORT USA ITS NOT ONLY THE WASTE FUEL TRIALS, BUT ALTERNATIVE RAW MATERIALS

ALSO cause  trouble for Cemex , with the MONTEREY BAY air quality department, after the substitution of  some raw materials by  industrial waste . This  appears to have lead to a TENFOLD  increase in CHROMIUM SIX being formed, and found in the dust down wind of the plant, apparently  from the MILL SCALE and STEEL SLAG. Erin Brockovich is rushing to help,  as public  meetings are called,  and health checks carried out for the increased cancer risk associated with these emissions.

ALTERNATIVE WASTE RAW MATERIALS - WITHOUT  EU WASTE CODES!
Where else are they trialling the use of these wastes?  No prizes for guessing!
Is this dust from the main stack, low level point source stacks, and vents or fugitives?
How does Rugby Borough Council test  for this cancer-causing toxic dust?
It doesn't even know about it - RBC hiding its head, ostrich like, in piles of cement kiln dust!

SLOWLY SLOWLY CEMEX & RUGBY OBSERVER

CEMENT FUEL PLAN SUBMITTED - Rugby Observer 2 October 2008
 
PRESS COMPLAINTS TO DECIDE - IS IT FACT, OR FICTION?

EDITORIAL, OR CEMEX ADVERTISMENT?
 
QUOTE:

"CEMEX has submitted a second planning application to build a plant which would turn much of Warwickshire's unrecyclable rubbish into a fuel for its cement plant.  The application for land known as MALPASS FARM next to the plant on Lawford Road was submitted this week and is a carbon copy of the one made for the company's quarry in SOUTHAM in August.
 
 
JUST ONE will be built, but CEMEX believes by seeking permission for both is the best way of seeing which one the public would prefer.  Ther Climafuel plant will cost £35 million and will employ 25 people at which ever site it is built at. It wil be up and running by 2010 if approved. It would see as much as 75 per cenet of unrecyclable household waste produced by the county's residents saved from landfill by being dried out, packed into blocks and then used to power the cement plant. The use of climafuel would reduce levels of CO2 equivalent to that produced by 72,000 cars in a year a company spokesman said. The plans will be on show to the Public outside CEMEX HOUSE in October 23 and 24 from 2pm to 6pm, and on October 25 from 10am to 2pm.
 
 
COMMENTS can be emailed to ian.southcott@cemex.com or sent by post to Ian Southcott, Community Affairs Manager, CEMEX UK, Evreux Way, Rugby Warwickshire CV21 2DT."

I would like to know whether this report, by an unidentified person, was in fact a paid advert by Cemex or a  VERY misleading  and MISINFORMING  article published by the  RUGBY OBSERVER  ?    But in either case surely no excuse can be made for misleading the public in this way?   If it was an advertisement then surely it should have said so?
 
WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is asking for the comments during the  PUBLIC CONSULTATION  into the Cemex Malpass Parkfield Road planning application which ends on 21st October, but  in this apparent  Cemex advert it asks people to view the plans outside the Cemex House on October 23-24 from 2.00 to 6.00 pm and on 25th October from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm, and then asks them to send comments direct to Cemex as they claim they have put in the two applications at Southam and Rugby as "the best way of seeing which one the public would prefer."
 
The Report/Advert  is factually inaccurate, and misleading,   and ends by asking the public to email or post comments to Ian Southcott of Cemex, which is in itself misleading as comments must go to the County Council. This is exactly how Rugby Cement  operated as well, with a "hot line" to the plant so that the complaints can be dealt with by the management , discretely ,   by whatever means they "feel is  appropriate and beneficial to them",   with no-one knowing, and no public record  -   as they try to divide up the community.  
 
 
PUBLIC  ASKED TO COMMENT ON WHAT?
Rugby in Plume are offering a prize for the person who spots the most "deliberate mistakes" in  the article/advert, riddled with misinformation, which  makes no reference to the WCC web and public library where people can see the "actual"  application and Environmental Statement, or  pay £75 to Cemex for a copy, nor that the consultation closes on 21 October. What are the public supposed to coment on - the misleading information given in the Observer?  Are Cemex and the Rugby Observer making monkeys of Rugby residents - yet again?
 
 
CEMEX SHOULD WITHDRAW THIS AUDACIOUS UNSUSTAINABLE UNSUPPORTABLE RUGBY APPLICATION WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT!!

Shall we make a video like this in Rugby!?

PLEASE PLEASE help us - New Bilton and Newbold will be poisoned...

250,000 T. REFUSE DERIVED FUEL TO BE TUMBLE DRIED USING COAL AND RDF FURNACES BEFORE CO-INCINERATION AT CEMEX RUGBY - DOUBLING THE RATE TO 30 TPH!

WHICH IS WORSE?
To construct this monstrous plant at Southam's rural site - or in urban Rugby - where the cumulative total of pollution from the Cemex co-incinerator plus this 500,000 tpa Refuse Processing plant may well turn out to be "overwhelming" for the local residents during the "short term pollution incidents", and to have long term health effects. The plant is to have a 91 metre stack if built at Southam, in order to "safely" disperse the pollution over a wider area - but at Rugby in order to disperse it "less safely" and closer, over more local residents, they are only to have a 45 metre stack. Of course it is not actually about the BPEO (Best Practicable Environmental Option) that they decide to vent more onto Rugby, it is because it is cheaper, as they already have a 91 metre stack at Southam. CHEAP SKATES!

WHERE THERE'S MUCK THERE'S MONEY!
Who ever first coined the phrase certainly knew what he was on about. And of course we will pay WCC to collect the waste from us, and then we will pay Cemex to process it, and then pay Cemex to burn it, and to pump it back out over our heads, dumping our own waste back on us. That is better than landfill - pumping it into the air I suppose? Is this RECYCLING, or the BPEO?


WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL - STINGY!
say 21 days is all they are prepared to give local residents and all they are legally required to "give" us in which to comment, and then if we are not happy with the decision, which is to be made on 15 December as a nice CHRISTMAS GIFT to the lucky winers, we can take them to JUDICIAL REVIEW, and waste another EIGHT years of our lives, and ALL OUR OWN MONEY, battling them in the court trying to get JUSTICE for RUGBY RESIDENTS. Maybe WCC should manufacture some WCC sticks of rock for suckers?

Not only are they holding this gun to our heads, but also this planning permission is dependent on a doubling of the waste burning at Rugby, so it seems we are to get it all ways. And of course there was NO PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION as is supposed to happen, only a "scoping" which did NOT tell the truth! And a few secret village meetings held in backrooms with a very small handful of specially selected local peasants invited. Rugby residents were not even informed and there was NO MENTION of DOUBLING the waste burning in the Cemex Co-incinerator, much less of tumble drying 250,000 REFUSE over our heads. They even said there was no need to have a chimney as it was to be ever-so environmentally friendly - and so very CLEAN - the "clean pollutants" could all be vented out at roof-top level.

SLOWLY SLOWLY THE TRUTH IS COMING OUT
Rugby has the co-incinerator and now we have to be polluted more to fuel the beast! Read the Health Protection Agency web site for more details about the dangers of RDF and how the COMEAP committee can guarantee nothing, but they are HOPEFUL that the pollution from waste burning will be "no worse" than the pollution from coal - as long as all is going "well". The Environment Agency POINT BLANK REFUSE (and have for FIVE years) to answer why they have to stop burning wastes and to start burning coal when things go wrong! And when it doesn't go well - and emission limits are not met and fugitives are oozing out - well that is a different story, and it doesn't take the HPA's "emminent body of so-called experts" to inform us that it will NOT be BENEFICIAL TO OUR HEALTH!

RUGBY TO BE WASTE DUMP 18 OCTOBER..

..AS INSULTATION PROCESS CONTINUES.
CEMEX REBUILD DEMOLISHED CHIMNEY.
WARWICK'S and IMPORTED 500,000 TONNES WASTE DUMPED ON DUPED RUGBY RESIDENTS - AS DUPLICITOUS COUNCILLORS POCKET & EXIT!!CEMEX STICKS OF ROCK for SUCKERS!
On Heritage Open Day!

INSULTATION PROCESS - OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS BUT ONCE as Cemex plans to double air quality and health impact on DOPEY RUGBY!!

While the Environment Council DIRECTS PUBLIC ATTENTION AWAY from MAJOR POLLUTION ISSUE using £25,000 from Rugby Council Tax Payers' Health Protection Budget, and PETTY cash from the Environment Agency and Cemex, as we ALL jointly try to find "a new way forward together". Look out for flying pigs, and what they drop! It seems there is an "IMMINENT desperate need" to re-organise the way Cemex and the Agency " liaise, communicate, and engage " with the Rugby community.

Stakeholder relations reached "an all time low", as the RCCF, was virtually destroyed and emasculated by RBC, EA, WCC and by Cemex in an ideal demonstration of "joint-working for the *good/BAD* of the community". Worse is yet to come as the "BIG FOUR" - a name coined for WCC, RBC, the EA and Cemex at the Workshop on 17th September - now collude and try even harder to dupe Rugby residents, by pretending to turn over a new leaf, while secretly planning more environmental disasters. See local press for stories and letters about the "Chameleons".

RUGBY STAKEHOLDERS have had enough of paying while being polluted, and under the polluter-MUST-pay principle need funding in order to obtain openness, honesty, joint fact finding, timely access to full validated data, a proper say in the activities in our environment, and a change in the status quo so that we are not only listened to, but also what we say has an impact on the outcomes. Call me a cynic, but these very spotty leopards are hardly prepared, willing or able to change their spots, and qualities such as these, (honesty?) have never ever been seen in Rugby. Just pass the sticks of Cemtex rock.

WASTE PLANT DOUBLES CO-INCINERATION
Two planning applications are on WCC web for Southam and Rugby's MALPASS proposed Parkfield Road waste plant, have already hit the buffers as the pre-application Scoping Assessment was for a plant 50% smaller than what is now being proposed. Warwickshire CC is firmly in the Waste Partnership with RBC and their BIG GAME PLAN is to "BURN IT ALL IN RUGBY" - to add in another 100% - 250,000 tonnes a year of REFUSE DERIVED FUEL. Meanwhile we can look forward to another 360 lorries or so on 20 kilometres of our local roads, which have many accidents involving 133 personal injury accidents in five years, of which 3 were fatalities and 37 serious. All this for a cement plant cum co-incinerator that never had an EIA, a lawful planning permission, a lawful operating permit and any meaningful public consultation of any kind. WCC is busying itself yet again with more retrospective planning permissions - this time to validate the unlawful fly tipping of 20,000+ tonnes a year of hazardous waste that has been going on at Southam under their watch for EIGHT years. With of course the blessing of that great protector of the environment - the Environment Agency.

THE ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL has taken Rugby residents eye of the ball, during this deliberately most untimely process, and is wondering how to build TRUST and CONFIDENCE in Rugby, doing its level best to improve relations, but Rugby people are sick of being treated as suckers, and would like to reclaim their town from the usurpers. After Monday's press release there is now to be a working party to try to put flesh on the bones of the skeleton future-engagement. But at the same time as we are paying for this, and engaging, Rugby is burning. Cemex was inviting a chosen few to the Southam open days 18-20 September, surprisingly and most disappointedly overlooking the obvious necessity of an invitation to the 60 delegates to see Cemex's plans for our futures! In yet another application to "enhance" our environment, air quality and health there is to be yet another 91 metre chimney to vent off the fumes and odours from the MBT/IHT plant and from the furnace required to tumble dry the Refuse Derived Fuel. They do not seem to have thought about the huge environmental impacts of the transport and processing - and even less about the impact of the increase in co-incineration at Rugby.

TRANSPORT: AND LAING RAIL REVIEW
WCC/Cemex have submitted an April 2004 report, ( see chapter 12 WCC web held in secret between Laing, WCC and Rugby Cement), into the feasibility of the railway being re-opened ONLY for the 160 clay lorries daily. Certainly now there is a plan to more than double the total HGVs going between Southam and Rugby with clay, and climafuel lorries then a new report into the disused railway should be carried out, and submitted. Obviously it will be much more economic and affordable now they are planning such a huge increase in lorry journeys, and will save the public and roads from millions of lorry miles, which cost so much in terms of accidents, risk, air pollution and damage to the roads, and other road users vehicles, and to the infrastructure.

It appears the Inspector and public were kept in the dark about this secret LAING report, at the Public Inquiry into the route of the Western Relief Road, which resulted in farmers being forced out of their land as the road was routed through the green belt because it was claimed the rail route was required for the Cement plant operations. The WRR was placed in the green belt, at a huge and ever-increasing cost, (£40 million up from the original £11 million), when there was a secret report in which there was no intention of re-opening the railway.

WCC CONSIDERED INSISTING RAILWAY RE-OPENSas a planning condition in 2004, so now they have another golden window of opportunity?
The canals have been ruled out as too costly, too slow and too many locks, Let the narrow gauge train take the strain? Or will it be the repetitious cry: "Alternative rail transport has been considered but without significant external funding, none IS OF economic consideration."

RUGBY ADVERTISER EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT:
INDEPENDENT CHAIR ESSENTIAL!
"It is a GOOD thing that the RCCF MAY be recreated as a new body - the current version is unworkable and ineffective."
The RCCF needs an independent chair, access to data, and the public need more access to meetings, an independent venue, trust, access to data, and the Editor criticises the Agency for their non-attendance - the vital ingredient - and for their NON- PROVISION of vital information.

CEMEX UNDER FIRE

AS SOUTHAM-RUGBY WAR CONTINUES….

TEMPERATURES RISE
WCC notes that “the previously jovial Southam Cement and lorry routing community liaison group has now become hostile” as WCC grants Cemex a new CLAY lorry route to and from Southam, causing COMPLAINTS and letters in the press from the village inhabitants. Residents of Marton , Princethorpe and Long Itchington suddenly awaken and realise their 3 villages will now endure all the (current) daily 140 Cemex clay HGVs , as the circular route limiting the number to just 35 is scrapped, and the 140 are now to be “in their back yards” on narrow dangerous roads they insist are “not fit for purpose”. They are not amused at having “just a taste” of what the Rugby New Bilton residents have suffered / had inflicted on them for years – over 70 lorries an hour at times, and an average of around 800 a day. Letters of congratulations and thanks can be sent to Warwickshire County Council planners and councillors, who have more tricks up their sleeves yet!

SOUTHAM WASTE PROCESSING PLANT
Temperatures have yet to reach fever pitch as locals in Southam and Rugby have still not realised the massive implications for them of the first of the two CEMEX WASTE/RECYCLING/CLIMAFUEL applications. The County Council and Cemex are trying to keep the two applications completely separate, and thus presumably to divide the community, to prey on the weakest and most vulnerable, to discourage any “joined up thinking”, and to avert any consideration of the BPEO - best practicable environmental option? Local people have just a month in which to voice their concerns about the first-proposed 360,000 tonne a year waste processing plant in the old cement plant at SOUTHAM.


PLENTY OF LANDFILLS AVAILABLE AT SOUTHAM
At least Southam has a massive ever increasing landfill, as they excavate the clay, about 2,000 tonnes each day, in which they then dump the hazardous waste bypass dust. Residues from their new “processing” can easily be dumped without having to transport all that back to Southam from Rugby. It appears several operational landfills are available which can take hazardous and non-hazardous waste – even though there is still no IPPC Permit for the site, which it is believed makes the landfills unlawful, operating in contravention of EU and UK Law, without a PPC permit!

LORRY TRAIN TO RUN NIGHT AND DAY SOUTHAM-RUGBY
A smaller scale application (see WCC web site Reference “NW 08CM032”) made to the County Council in August by RMC/Rugby Cement for a 120,000 tonne a year waste processing plant at COLESHILL needs 100 HGVs a day – so can the Southam/village residents look forward to another 300 lorries a day on top of the 140 they are so upset about? Or will there be even more as the HGVs convoy back and forth – as virtual “lorry trains” between Southam and Rugby? Why do they, and the County Council, go on ignoring the disused railway line, the availability of which was claimed by Rugby Cement to be one of the main reasons for building the plant in an urban area in Rugby instead of at any of the other available more suitable rural sites. Rugby Cement in 2000 (see WCC and RBC committee meetings on web) “saved” the railway route for its own future use, as it “forced” the Western Relief Road into the green belt, delaying the construction by 8 years, and costing the public purse £40 million instead of the £11 million quoted in 2000, and also polluting and poisoning Rugby residents, contributing to the high levels of particulate in the “hot spot lorry routes” and to the AQMA for Nitrogen dioxide, which affects health.


WASTE PLANT? IMPOSE IT ON POOR URBAN LONG-SUFFERERS!
Will the more powerful Southam residents and coalition of county councillors try to force the new waste plant, along with all the extra pollution from lorries and plant pollution into the RUGBY SMOKE LESS ZONE AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREA, on to long-suffering down-town Rugby residents? After all it will ONLY be a grand total of 1100 juggernauts daily for New Bilton residents? What can it matter as in this area lives and the environment are already obscenely blighted by the CO-INCINERATOR – its emissions - uncontrolled/controlled - and fugitive pollution, “nuisance dust”, hovering, menacing plume/s, and low level point sources which remain unregulated and unmonitored. What does it matter if this already disadvantaged area gets more muck heaped on it? They are used to it.

ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION DENIED
Where is the Sheriff when you need him? Questions and reasonable applications for access to environmental data, and even Freedom of Information requests, remain unanswered as the “outlaws”, the notorious Environment Agency, are “above the law.” The public and Rugby Cement Community Forum are refused access to environmental data by both the Environment Agency and Cemex, as they work together to “slip in all the applications between the meetings of the Forum” – so that no proper response is ever made. In this atmosphere of concealment and refusal to co-operate, how can community relations improve?

Trials and “waste burning” experiments go on and on, year in year out, as the trials are extended without the public’s or RCCF’s knowledge, and presumably outside of the PPC Permit and its conditions. There are endless variations and secret negotiations going as the back-slapping “back room boys” meet at the OK Corral. Any person who asks pertinent questions, and who understands the issues, is slapped down, labelled as a trouble maker, ejected from meetings, and threatened with ASBOs, and worse. Now the search is on by Cemex, the EA, WCC, and RBC for a “new” malleable Community Forum, to be peopled by “no brainers!”

SEVENTEENTH SEPTEMBER GANG TO MEET AT BENN HALL RUGBY
On 17 September the experienced ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL will attempt to facilitate an evening of “cordial discussion” and of “shaping the future for the community engagement process around the cement works in Rugby.” You can find the report under discussion on their web site. We nervously wish them well, as under their auspices Cemex, the Environment Agency, WCC and RBC will meet with about 40 delegates in a battle for pole position, as the “warring factions” (see Rugby Times articles) have their heads banged together.

“CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO A DUSTY ENVIRONMENT will generally result in receptors becoming less sensitive to dusty impacts and an acceptance of a certain level of dust deposition.” So there we have it, in a nutshell, dump more dust on folk and they will give up complaining? The WCC/Coleshill application NW 08CM032 is full of such little gems, and it also contains RMC’s own May 2003 assessment of how “nuisance dust”, that they NEVER acknowledged existed in the Rugby Cement application for IPPC, is a very difficult issue. So why was there never ANY dust assessment for the Rugby Cement plant – considering all its Low Level Point Sources and fugitive emissions? Because they did not want anyone to know!

LITTLE GEMS ON MINERAL DUST FROM RUGBY CEMENT/RMC 2003 that somehow “slipped their mind to tell Rugby residents in their application?”

“Road traffic can be a significant source of dust in urban areas.” – especially from 1,000 lorries each day! “Dust is defined as particulate matter in the size range 1-75 microns.” “Accurate and reliable quantitative prediction of dust impacts is accepted to be very difficult principally because dust emissions depend on a wide range of factors many of which are site specific and vary from day to day.” “Deposition of particles causes soiling on windows and cars and is considered a nuisance. In addition occasional clouds of dust can cause a visual and sensory nuisance.” “Attitude surveys undertaken by the department of the Environment have indicated that in terms of nuisance to nearby residents continual or severe concerns about dust are most likely to be experienced near to dust sources.” “Nuisance dust in the community is normally perceived as an accumulated deposit, however the point at which an individual makes a complaint is highly subjective.” “Wind direction from the South West occurs most of the time and will cover areas to the North and East.” “Particles greater than 30 microns will deposit within approximately 100 metres of the source, while 10-30 microns will travel 200-500 metres and small particles less than 10 microns can travel up to 1 kilometre” into Rugby town centre?

“LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE” was a County Councillor’s response to the question as to whether Rugby residents should be informed of the massive increase in size of the Rugby cement plant. While the Environment Agency said they only got away with it in Rugby because there had been “no intelligent opposition!” Is it now a case of one bitten twice shy – or will they dump it on RUGBY once again?

Who cares in Rugby?

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Recent Comment:

Dear Lillian,

I can't tell you how much I admire you courage on this issue. You are a true hero to the citizens of Rugby. Unfortunately I believe, after speaking to officers like Sean Lawson, that the Borough Council can't actually do anything. The EA is at the whim of big business too.

The way forward must be the ballot box. I am so pleased you will be contesting Rugby at the next General Election. We need more Ind Cllrs on RBC, this may come about in the next few years because an "all out" system of electing our Cllrs may come into being. I have always believed this makes Ind Cllrs more likely.

Fight on and be strong,

Paul Holdsworth

Thank You Paul, you don't realise how much your comment means to me. I am more used to receiving comments of support through my email and letters in the press, and sometimes think that the little comment box beneath goes unnoticed.

Thank You for taking the time.
Lilian.

TROOPS TAKE OVER CEMEX !

AS RUGBY AND VENEZUELA ENJOY CEM-EXPERIENCE!
FAULTY TOWER PLANS FAMILY FUN DAY.
AT CO-INCINERATOR HERITAGE SITE!

Rugby Cemex plans "happy family fun day", with "friends of the kiln club" membership, (half price for juniors and OAPs), and with a Victorian theme as small children are pushed up chimney carrying brushes.

Meanwhile adults enjoying the CEM-EXperience, where it snows every day, will have hair automatically grey-streaked, and will buy raffle tickets for a chance to use the carbon dioxide blasters, to unblock kiln. Eat dust-coated popcorn, play dodgems with HGVs, and "bash a kiln rat", with Basil and resident Manuel, banging them over the head with a bit of 2 by 4 when they pop out of the kiln or any other emission release points. JOHN CLEESE is invited to inaugurate.

All this is completely FREE, along with a HERITAGE visit to the EIGHT year old co-incinerator plant on 11 September for 40 lucky residents, as part of Rugby's celebration of Rugby's magnificent achievement : "historical/ hysterical 8 year-old co-incinerator heritage!"

Surely this is not a cunning ploy, an attempt to woo Rugby residents, who are apparently TPO on a grand scale with CEMEX RUGBY.

Ideas are flooding in, " for hours of fun for old and young", as Alton Towers looks set to go out of business in the face of such grandiose pleasurable opportunities.

VENEZUELAN TROOPS
RE-NATIONALISED Cemex cement 19 August by force after Cemex refused to accept a "reasonable offer" , after negotiations with CEMEX reached nowhere! Troops seized control of Cemex's plants and offices as workers at the factory cheered and waved in approval.


CEMEX asked for $1.3 billion in compensation for relinquishing control of its plants which account for HALF of Venezuela's total cement, after the government issued a tax bill for $37 million, as takeover talks hit rough weather. Now Cemex will have to settle for a low deal, while the government paid $552 million for an 85% stake in HOLCIM SWITZERLAND, and $265 million for 89% shares in LAFARGE FRANCE.

VENEZUELA BLAMES CEMEX
for exporting TOO much of its local output that denied enough cement for its local consumption, and prevented the provision for home-building and infrastructure targets for providing housing for the poor.

The socialist government has already taken oil, and telecommunications, a bank and a steel company, from private hands. The takeover bill for the cement companies may yet reach $3 billion - as reported in international press today. But Cemex may have a silver-lining as its $19 billion debt from the takeover of RINKER Australia last year could be reduced (by $?) IF they get a "reasonable compensation".

RUMOURS UNCONFIRMED
as yet, suggest that the troops may be invited to take-over Rugby plant - but so far this remains unconfirmed. Other rumours suggest a £1 a ticket raffle for the whole Rugby plant, though some say this is excessive, and that 50p a ticket would be more realistic.

HAND OF GOD STRIKES RUGBY AGAIN!

AS PERIODS OF CALM, AND LOW WIND SPEEDS INCREASE DUST/PARTICULATE IN RUGBY!


CEMEX AND RUGBY RESIDENTS CAUGHT OUT BY WEATHER, AND KILN, AND BY LOW EXIT VELOCITY, YET AGAIN!


IT ONLY TAKES TWO MINUTES TO SMOTHER AN AREA 800 METRES SOUTH SOUTH WEST IN DUST?

CEMEX ADMIT DUST IS INEVITABLE IN NOTIFICATION OF UNAUTHORISED BREACH: WHY DID BAG FILTERS NOT WORK?
WHAT FUEL WERE THEY BURNING?


EXCESSIVE EMISSIONS: 22nd April 2008, of clinker dust from KILN FLUSH 05:38 to 05:43. "Kiln off - stopped at 05:35 by the operator to "minimise environmental impact" , "after a lump fell into the kiln which did not clear using the normal blasting and jetting procedures." Cemex decided NOT to report the fugitive emissions at an "AVERAGED" (??) 357 milligrams/357,000 MICROGRAMS each cubic metre, because they did not believe the fugitive releases, which breached the operating Permit, had reached the "wider world". Unfortunately for Cemex at least five wide-awake residents in FROBISHER ROAD reported that their cars were covered in dust.

WHAT HAPPENED?
QUOTE: "In the hour of 0500 to 0600 a lump fell into the kiln inlet which did not clear using normal blasting and jetting techniques. The kiln controller immediately stopped the kiln as per normal operating procedures. As the lump cleared it was holding back some raw materials which then passed through the kiln system after the kiln had been stopped. Elevated particulate emissions occurred for the five minutes at a lower than normal flow rate through the main stack after the kiln had been stopped."

FROBISHER ROAD COMPLAINTS:
"During this period the wind direction monitor indicated a variable wind direction, that for NO MORE THAN TWO MINUTES was in the direction of Frobisher Road. The wind speed was LOW, less than 2 mph. The only possible explanation is that due to the LOWER FLOW and VERY CALM WEATHER conditions the PARTICULATES will NOT have DISPERSED effectively as under 'normal operations' but were deposited in Frobisher Road.

PRE-HEATER KILNS CHARACTERISTIC:
Build-ups such as this are characteristic of a pre-heater system and are 'effectively' (??) ,managed by checking and clearing. CEMEX have made various improvements since the kiln was first commissioned (and since the 250 stops/starts in 2005??) by the installation of extra blasters in the COMBUSTION CHAMBER".

WHAT NOW?
The usual pay off: "CEMEX has written to residents (ONLY those) that made contact regarding 'dust nuisance' and offered reimbursement for cleaning cars."
Cemex claim: "Kiln flushes are rare and are IN THIS CASE small in nature. It would unfortunately appear that, on this occasion (we were caught out by!) CALM WEATHER conditions resulted in a limited nuisance for a small area of local residents. It is NOT possible to guarantee that a fall of this nature will not happen in the future. However, the management procedures already in place, and techniques used, 'are considered BAT' to MINIMISE the risk of this event.

SEVERAL OTHER RECENT TEST FAILURES:
frequently cement mills for excessive particulate: main stack for dioxins and furans; particulate; cadmium and thallium: 'climafuel' for excessive lead and chromium: bypass dust for increased dioxins;

SENSITIVE ISSUES AND CONTENTIOUS SITES:
WHAT DOES THE AGENCY DO?
They have little meetings in which they discuss how to silence the people who genuinely ask for information, by having them labelled as "vexatious complainants", in accordance with the EA's Complaints and Commendations Policy. They are very worried about how to thwart any Freedom of Information requests - "we are discussing how we will deal with such requests."

WHY IS RUGBY SUCH A HUGE PROBLEM?
Apart from the obvious: i.e . the unlawful construction of an old-fashioned environmentally disastrous semi-wet process 2 million tonne a year cement plant in an urban area's smokeless zone; which then 'morphed' into a 600 tonne a day waste-burning CO-INCINERATOR without any valid planning permission, without a valid IPC or valid IPPC operating permit, without any public consultation; ALL in contravention of the UK's own laws, EIA Directive, PPC Directive, Aarhus Convention and Public Participation Directive; AND apart from the afore mentioned also the obvious problems of emissions, pollution, hundreds of lorries each day. loss of amenity, visual, pollution episodes, air quality and health impact (health in ALL senses of the word!) also there is the POLITICAL climate in Rugby, according to the EA.

EA AND POLITICAL ISSUES:
"We have fully briefed JEREMY WRIGHT CONSERVATIVE Member of Parliament for Rugby and Kenilworth. RBC is a 'hung council and its political leadership has changed 3 times in the last 5 years. One third of the Borough Councillors are up for re-election in the May 2006 local government elections. This presents a challenge to all involved!" And now that the Tories have gained more seats? Since when did health and air quality become a political football?

FOOTNOTE ON LORRIES!
WAST PLANT CONTROVERSY AT SOUTHAM:
The £35 million 1,000 tonne a day proposed waste processing plant seems to be having a lot of trouble already. The Rugby Observer 7th August said it would need an extra 69 lorries going in each day - and presumably then going out making 138 extra journeys to bring in all the waste from across the county? And then an extra 48 lorries to take the waste/RDF/Climafuel to Cemex Rugby for burning; presumably them returning making 96 in all. So at Southam it seems there would be an extra 234 each day? On top of the "usual" 140 clay lorries which ply between Southam and Rugby. making a grand total of 378 movements each day?

AT RUGBY:
The £35 million 1,000 tonne a day proposed waste processing plant if built at RUGBY would only, according to Cemex and the Evening Telegraph 5th August, need "about 11 extra loads a day"?

Anyone confused?