I have read with interest the various letters concerning the possibility of air pollution from the chimney at the cement works at Westbury.

We live in Keevil and, when the wind is in the right direction, we have smelt burning rubber when sitting in our back garden, if the smell reaches us other noxious compounds could also be carried here.

While I applaud the Council in their efforts to dispose of our rubbish in more appropriate ways than throwing it into holes in the ground, I do wonder whether the procedure being employed at Westbury is stringent enough and the filtering is monitored adequately.

My husband has spent his whole working life in industrial safety and tells me that the burning of plastics must be done at extremely high temperatures to remove the toxins and even then the residue can contain gases that are detrimental to the ozone layer.

We are pensioners but our grandchildren also live in the path of possible fallout from the chimney and I write this letter to appeal to those involved to make sure that as well as reducing emissions at source the smoke from the chimney is monitored rigorously over a wider area.

Shirley Brooks,

Martins Road,

Keevil.

A UNIVERSITY doctor with a MSc, PhD in environmental sciences has reviewed the Environment Agency's report from its air quality monitoring station based at Bratton.

Only three days in 100 was the air in the right direction.

During those days there were peaks in the acid gases that indicated that acid gases were coming from the LaFarge chimney, but the wind strengths suggest most gases were blown over the laboratory.

Far from being reassured as the Environment Agency claimed Dr Andy Tubb from the University of West of England saw little data in which to reassure him that the cement plan's effect on the environment was reducing.

The evidence does not support this. Dr Tubb is involved in a national monitoring of air quality for DEFRA.

His opinion, in my opinion, holds more credence than an agency who have discredited themselves, by defending their poor record of environmental protection by statements not based on scientific fact or accuracy.

MR DR LEVY,

Southcroft,

Chapmanslade,

Westbury.