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Rugeley farm blaze: ASBESTOS found as fire burns into a third week

Asbestos has been found at the site of a Staffordshire fire as it heads towards its third week of burning.

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The discovery comes after it was revealed that the 1,000 tonnes of waste, which is still burning at Oak Farm in Rugeley, should not have been there in the first place.

More than 100 people who packed out a public meeting about the blaze were told an enforcement notice had been issued banning the storage of waste on the land in Slitting Mill Lane.

Then Cannock Chase District Council said Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service had found asbestos at the site.

The asbestos was found in cement boarding, with deputy chief fire officer Rob Barber saying: "We can confirm that a small amount of boarding was found at the site and tests have identified it as cement asbestos boarding.

"We are currently reviewing operational tactics and we will continue to work closely with our partners at Public Health England and the Environment Agency to monitor and assess the situation."

Public Health England moved to reassure residents that the likely exposure 'will be very low', with Dr David Kirrage saying: "Our experience from similar fires suggests the likely public exposure from the Oak Farm fire will be very low and asbestos fibres are unlikely to be readily released into the smoke plume from asbestos containing material.

"This is particularly the case for asbestos cement, which is the type of asbestos discovered at Oak Tree Farm, but also applies to other types of asbestos containing material.

"It is also important for residents to know that the fire is of relatively low intensity, which would also tend to limit the amount of fibres released into the atmosphere. It is also likely the material is damped as a consequence of firefighting activities.

"If there was a significant amount of asbestos containing material discovered most of the risk to human health would be restricted to the immediate surrounding area where specialist clean-up operations would be required to safely dispose of the material."

Staffordshire County Council has confirmed that schools in both Rugeley and Hednesford have been sent Public Health England information, but none have been advised to close.

The council issued the enforcement notice on the site, prohibiting waste being imported, stored, recycled, burned or processed at the site. An information sheet handed out to those at Monday's meeting revealed that the farm should have been cleared of material when the fire took hold.

The fire broke out on September 5.

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