WEDNESDAY, October 11 sees the opening of the public inquiry called by the Welsh Assembly into Castle Cement's plans to incinerate the chemical waste Cemfuel at its Padeswood plant in North Wales.

The first of the five items for consideration is "the effect of the proposed development on public health."

Wednesday, September 6 saw a grand total of 26 people attend Castle Cement's open day at the Church Hall in Clitheroe, where the "benefits" of incinerating Cemfuel in kiln 7 again were extolled. Friends of the Earth members were outside for all 10 hours, offering a statement of our views to visitors.

These included several councillors, most of whom seemed totally disinterested in the environmental aspects of Castle's proposals, and 12 members of the general public, who were.

Whether this reflects the lack of publicity, support for Castle, or the usual apathy, is hard to say, but it is hardly the vigorous approach taken by the reported 30,000 residents of North Wales and Cheshire who forced Rhodri Morgan to take note of their refusal to play host to another Clitheroe lying down.

Castle's formal application to recommence incinerating Cemfuel in kiln 7 appeared on September 14, after which there are 28 days for any objections; so now you know.

MR J D MORTIMER (Chairman, Friends of the Earth, Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley), Green Drive, Clitheroe.