A COMPANY has been given permission to burn 100,000 tonnes of fat from cattle slaughtered at the height of the BSE crisis.

The Environment Agency gave SembCorp Utilities UK Limited, near Redcar, a permit to carry out a 45-day trial to burn the fat at its Wilton Power Station, in March, when about 10,000 tonnes of the liquid fat was burnt.

The power station has now been given the go-ahead to start burning tallow within two weeks, until December next year.

The fat comes from animals older than 30 months, which were banned from the food chain during the BSE crisis. Their fat was stored in Merseyside and London.

Cattle showing signs of the disease were incinerated.

Results from the trial burn showed that sulphur dioxide emissions were reduced when burning tallow instead of oil or coal, and showed that the risk of becoming infected with BSE from burning the tallow was negligible.

David Tarttelin, Environment Agency regulatory officer, said the agency had set a number of factors against which the trial burn was judged and said it was satisfied these were all met.

A spokesman from SembCorp assured nearby residents that safety was the company's top priority.

"We are keen to maintain links with the community and welcome any queries from the public," he said. "We will keep the web site www.sembutilities.co.uk updated with the latest information on progress."

But Pete Goodwin from Teesside group Impact, supported by Friends of the Earth, said he thought it was 'regrettable' that the tallow was coming to Teesside and said it should be dealt with elsewhere.

"Yet again Teesside is being used as a guinea pig," he said. "I'm sure the Environment Agency have done their best to look at risks, but the fact is that the science relating to BSE and how it is spread is unknown."

Residents can attend a drop-in session to find out more about the decision. It takes place at Coatham Local Learning Centre, next to Coatham Primary School, Coatham Road, Redcar, on Wednesday, August 25, from 4pm to 8pm. SembCorp said others may follow.