The factory can no longer dispose of waste at a disused quarry. A controversial scheme to dump waste in a new landfill site at a Flintshire cement works goes before councillors on Wednesday.
The proposed landfill site on the Castle Cement land at Padeswood near Mold is currently in agricultural use. The company said it could no longer dispose of hazardous cement kiln dust (CKD) at an existing site. But AM Mark Isherwood said more time should be allowed for consultation with residents before a decision is made.
Mr Isherwood, a Conservative who represents north Wales, said discussion of the application should be deferred, even though the council has so far received only four formal objections.
The waste will come from the site’s £60m kiln, which opened this summer. A report to councillors said that the disposal of CKD will have to end at the existing disposal site at a disused quarry at Pant y Buarth near Gwernaffield, which is eight miles from the Padeswood plant.
Recent changes in the law mean that CKD will be classified as hazardous and there are no "open gate" disposal sites in Wales accepting it. The report said CKD was essentially a sub-standard cement which is only classified as hazardous because it contains lime "in excess of 10 per cent by weight".
Planners said the risk related to how waste is handled to avoid contact with skin, eyes and the respiratory system. Under the proposal, two fields near the factory would be excavated and lined with a clay and plastic liner to protect against any leakages. It is recommended that planning permission is granted, although 24 conditions have been laid down. But some local residents are concerned about the environmental impact of the site.
John Rosser, from nearby Penyfford, said: "The fact that they will be disposing stuff classed as hazardous waste does raise fears - the village is worried." He said more information about the site should have been provided.
"If everything goes all right I’m sure there’s no reason to be worried, but things don’t always go alright, and there are concerns about how the site is going to be monitored."
In a statement, Castle Cement said it planned to include a number of control measures - such as water sprays - to reduced the potential for CKD dust being released. It said all traffic movement involving CKD would be on the existing site and that the site would be regulated by the Environment Agency.
