Letter: Polluters' disposal well below legal levels

Sir: I refer to the article 'Pressure group names top 100 legal polluters' (24 July) concerning the consent levels of industrial discharges to sewage plant treatment.

It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the other companies listed but I would like to set the record straight with regard to the Rhone-Poulenc Rorer plant at Dagenham (wrongly described under the former May and Baker name). It was unfortunate that no attempt was made to contact us.

The article says that we have a consent level of 273kg of metals per day. Whereas our consent level would appear to rank us fifth in the 'top 100 legal polluters', our actual average disposal in recent years has been 0.5kg per day - less than 1/500th of the maximum allowed. In addition, the 'red list' metals - mercury and cadmium - are not detectable in our effluent.

Yours faithfully,

MICHEL PAUTRAT

General Manager

Rhone-Poulenc Rorer

Dagenham, Essex