UK Environment Agency clears tyres for cement fuel

London - The UK government-sponsored Environment Agency has allowed cement-manufacturer Cemex to use tyres as a substitute fuel at its cement plant in in Lawford Road, Rugby, following a strictly-controlled and monitored trial.

A local pressure group, Rugby in Plume (RIP) opposes the plan and is trying to raise up to £25 000 (€38 000) to issue a legal challenge against the decision.

Environment Agency area manager, Ian Withers, said, "In our experience, few applications have been subjected to such intense scrutiny and debate as this one. We have committed substantial resources to engaging with and informing the public over an extended period of time and we have ensured that people's views have been taken into account in making our decision."

The application to burn tyres was first made in August 2001, but a series of delays has meant the EA did not formally receive the results of valid tests until October 2006.

Under the requirements of the Tyres Protocol, in order to be granted a Permit to burn tyres as a partial substitute fuel on an ongoing basis, Cemex had to demonstrate that it could meet the following success factors, set by the Environment Agency before the trial started:

• there will be no net environmental detriment to the local environment resulting from a change in emissions caused by the use of tyres as a substitute fuel. This assessment will be based on the methodology in H1 (Agency Horizontal Guidance Note: Environmental Assessment and Approval of BAT and will take into account other benchmark criteria established to protect the environment and human health.
• The process efficiency when using tyres will not decrease (subject to normal variations). This includes the amount of waste produced. Waste in this case includes recycled materials or reworked clinker.

• All inspections by Agency officers of the tyre trials will produce acceptable assessments in line with existing Agency compliance assessment tools including the Operator Performance Risk Assessment (OPRA) and Operator Monitoring Assessment (OMA).

• There will be no increase in abnormal operations as a result of using tyres, including Electrostatic Precipitator (EP) trips.

• Emission Limit Values (ELVs) will be complied with at all times.

• The Operator will demonstrate that modulating fuel feeds between coal and tyres can be achieved without adversely affecting kiln stability or emissions.

• The monitoring information obtained for the baseline and trial periods will be quality assured to ensure it is representative and complies with at least the requirements of the Tyres Protocol.

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Press release from the Environment Agency

Cash plea to fight tyre-burning plan icCoventry (UK)

Blog by campaigner against tyre burning blogspot