Waiting for a fiery end

Government Presses Ahead with Burning of BSE Cattle

Regulations requiring the killing and incineration of all cattle aged over thirty months has led to a huge backlog of meat, bone meal and other material waiting to be burned. 350,000 tons of cattle remains are waiting to be incinerated, and another 800,000 animals will be slaughtered this year.

Britain's incinerators can't cope

The Department of the Environment has now written to local authorities urging them to speed up the application process for additional incineration plants.

The Department says there is evidence of growing public concern over the incineration of cattle remains and carcasses, which could lead to opposition to new incineration plants.

Demonstrations in Cornwell have already stopped the construction of one incinerator

In an attempt to allay fears the government says only healthy cattle at the end of their working lives are being slaughtered and incinerated in this way.

The risk of infection to BSE is said in the letter to be extremely low and has been calculated by scientists to be a chance of about once in a billion years for the hypothetically most exposed people.