Tyre burning trials at Blue Circle, Westbury, conclude

[Adrian Fox <Adrian@adrianfox.demon.co.uk>]

Tyre burning trials at Westbury's Blue Circle Cement Works in the
southwest of the UK have just concluded and the company is already
crowing about its achievement in reducing NOx emissions...not mentioning
the possible increases in dioxins and furans and other increases in
gaseous emissions.
Unless the Environment Agency reneges on its promise that raw data from
the trials be made available to local protest groups, including the Air
that We Breathe Group (www.airthatwebreathe.demon.co.uk) we hope soon to
be able to attempt a detailed analysis.
We believe the data can be shown to be flawed both statistically
(numerous alterations and changes in the base conditions during the
trials, not to mention the way the data have been presented) and in
failures to take adequate samples, especially in dioxin monitoring. (The
EA authorised an increase in back end temperatures to 250C on the basis
of two dioxin samples only).
Although we have a some technical expertise in our group (a retired
industrial chemist and a statistician) and have been researching these
matters over the past three years,  we desperately need assistance from
an authoritative, scientific/statistical group/individual, so we can
make a challenge to Blue Circle's application for a permanent
authorisation for tyre burning.  Can anyone suggest whom we might
approach for help?  We are a voluntary group but might be able to raise
a few hundred pounds to pay for assistance.
Incidentally, there is already talk locally of introducing waste
disposal by incineration using Blue Circle (packaging and plastics) as
the waste disposal authority becomes increasingly concerned about
meeting EU targets for reducing landfill.
Any help or advice would therefore be gratefully received.  How can we
get Blue Circle's data rigorously and critically analysed?
Adrian Fox
The Air that We Breathe Group, Westbury, Wiltshire, UK
-- 
Adrian Fox