THERE were no surprises on a decision made by the Environment Agency, when they gave permission for a trial of hazardous wastes (RLF) in the kilns of Lafarge (Blue Circle), Westbury.

Have they ever denied a trial to the cement industry anywhere in the country? No. This is because the agency sees its role as facilitating industry rather than protecting health. I can say this because wherever an independent authority has been used, the failure to provide sufficient data has led to qualified statements and, in the case of the Royal Society, to advise caution.

I believe this is because the agency is trapped by previous actions and has to defend rather than move on. We even have cement companies being given environmental awards for improvements in their environmental performance, when the published emission data shows that nearly every environmental pollutant has increased since the introduction of tyres.

Who gives these awards? Well it's national and international Government bodies who deny us and our representatives (MPs) access, from the corridors of power. Yet they meet with the lobby from the British Cement Association almost weekly.

So once again we will have to wait for the decision document and evaluate the contents against the legal points we have raised.

I told you all years ago that the Westbury Cement Works was vying to become a backdoor incinerator.

Any changes in this situation will only occur through the activities of the individual. If we do nothing we will end up with a legacy of pollution that will rival the asbestos fiasco of a previous generation. Have we learnt nothing from the past?

D LEVY

Westbury