Toxic cement fears raised

Pollutants and heavy metals could leach out from building products made from cement produced in kilns fired by liquid chemical waste, causing widespread pollution, it was claimed this week.

Friends of the Earth has called for extensive research into the long-term effects of using products manufactured with recycled liquid fuel.

Companies including Redland Aggregates, Blue Circle Industries and Castle Cement all use RLF, derived from waste industrial solvents, in their manufacturing processes.

Redland and Blue Circle have vowed to fight a legal attempt by Durham county council to force them to apply for planning permission to burn recycled liquid fuel in their plants in the area.

Roger Lilley, industry and pollution campaigner with FoE, told CJ: "We are concerned that components like heavy metals could leach out from the concrete and other products over time, particularly in reaction to agents such as water."

He also pointed to a ban on the use of such cement instituted by the American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association because of fears over comtaminants leaching into water systems. Also, in 1993, the largest home improvement store chain in the US stopped stocking cement from waste-burning cement plants, citing "unresolved safety issues".

But a spokesman for the Government's Environment Agency dismissed the fears. He said: "There had already been a lot of expensive research on this before the EA came to its decision to authorise the burning of this fuel. UK legislation, including the Environmental Protection Act 1990, is among the most stringent in the world."

A spokesman for Redland said: "FoE have said lots of misleading things on this. The metal content of our finished products is very similar whether or not liquid fuel or petroleum coke is used, so it's really not an issue." Blue Circle responded: "We have already looked into this issue and found that there's no proof that metals could be emitted from our products at a future date."

l see also page 22.