Agency on the rack in row over health impacts of tyre burning

A storm has blown up over the potential impacts of Rugby Cement's plans to burn scrap tyres at its works in Rugby. The row has exposed the Environment Agency's discomfort in dealing with public health issues, but also raises questions about the ability of healthcare trusts to plug the gap. Moreover, the Agency appears to have failed abjectly to win the trust of the local population - and its handling of the case has been attacked by the local authority. The row was exacerbated by Rugby Cement's repeated failure to provide adequate information on the likely emissions from tyre burning.