Villagers claim ill-effects from waste plant fire

But bosses of BCB Environmental Management's site in North Yorkshire insisted yesterday there was no evidence at all of any health risk.

However, company officials also admitted that the gutting of the site at Tockwith, between York and Harrogate, meant plans for a

controversial 24m energy-from-waste plant would be shelved while bosses rebuilt the core business.

Although some offices survived, the main building has been written off – putting the jobs of 200 employees in jeopardy.

A spokesman added: "Some arrangement has to be made with the staff until we get the business operating again."

The blaze in the early hours of Wednesday led to renewed concerns yesterday about public health and the response of local authorities to the emergency.

Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams said: "It was the disaster that everyone in the local community had been dreading. It was a devastating fire and what concerns me is the lack of information about what has been burned and gone up into the air.

"When you have hazardous waste so close to the population you have to give residents confidence that they will have access to information and be protected."

BCB has now announced the appointment of a specialist contractor for the clean-up. But Mr Adams said initially no-one seemed sure whose job it was to clear the debris or monitor the air quality.

Coun John Savage represents Tockwith on both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

He said the "100ft flames like artillery fire" had scattered ash and other burned remains over a wide area including the children's play area on the approach to Prince Ruperts, which was only cleared yesterday.

He added: "It is the third fire in two years and there should have been emergency plans. Yet no-one knows what was in the waste station or what we might be breathing in.

"I have got a terrible chest and I do not know how the older people are coping. It was mayhem during the fire – like a battlefield – and I hope lessons have been learned."

Residents have also complained of sore throats, head aches and other ailments for which they were seeing GPs. However, BCB said all the villagers were experiencing was the stench normally associated with burning plastic.

A spokesman added: "Less than a third of the material in the depot at the time of the fire would be classified as hazardous waste.

"What proportion of that was solvents I do not know, but it would not have been the full third. I am not aware of any health risks whatsoever.

"There is no medical evidence, or any other evidence, to suggest

there's anything going on."

He added that critics should spare a thought "for the poor guys who may lose their jobs in a time of near recession".

The Environment Agency denied that the response of its own staff and other agencies had lacked co-ordination. Officers had been on the scene early on and alerted the agency's national air quality team.

"They were mobilised in the morning and when they got there did an assessment and took the view they were not needed after looking at the plume, which was dispersing and did not pose any immediate risk to the environment," a spokesman added.

Responsibility for air monitoring then passed to Harrogate Borough Council while the Environment Agency concentrated on protecting Fleet Beck, a tributary of the River Nidd, which was dammed temporarily .

Fortunately, BCB's own bunds had contained the dirty water from fighting the fire almost entirely within the plant and only a handful of fish had died.

RUBBISH STRATEGY IS BURNING ISSUE

Battle lines have been drawn over a 1.4bn strategy on how North Yorkshire gets rid of its waste over the next 25 years and whether burning rubbish is the cheapest option rather than the healthiest.

A working group has been set up to examine the terms of the contract by North Yorkshire County Council, but a row has blew up over who should be involved – conservationists or accountants.

Councillors John Clark and John Savage said the council was too focused on finance rather than questioning the incineration option.

Now, council bosses have allocated panel seats to those with experience in banking and accounting.

Coun Carl Les, the executive member for corporate services and finance, said the panel's remit was financial.