§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring of plume grounding at Castle Cement in Clitheroe the Environment Agency has carried out since the earlier testing of air quality by the National Physical Laboratory. [34738]
§ Mr. ClappisonObservations of the plumes are made on a regular basis by Environment Agency inspectors. However, the agency does not consider that further monitoring would provide any additional useful information, since the monitoring carried out by the National Physical Laboratory during August and September 1995, using a mobile laboratory and266W differential scanning lidar, provided sufficient information for the Environment Agency to evaluate the position and to determine appropriate action. As a result, Castle Cement was required to submit proposals to the Environment Agency to resolve the problem of plume grounding, and these proposals are required to be implemented by 31 December 1996. Castle Cement has appealed to the Secretary of State for the Environment against the implementation time scale.