David Levy – Cement in the Background – Sep 23

Those who have followed my environmental career will know I have long been involved in matters to do with concrete and cement manufacture. For a considerable time I took issue with the economic drivers that were adopted in the use of alternative fuels for use in the production of cement.

Rightly so, the companies sought to lower the very high fuel bill associated with the manufacture of cement.

Yet the road travelled by the companies was often one with scant attention being paid to the precautionary principle. These were the days when part of the roof of Terminal 2E in the Charles de Gaulle Airport collapsed, and the loss of integrity in the concrete used was one of the factors in why four people lost their lives.

Also during that period of time, I was able to expose the sales of deficient cement by Lafarge Cement Company into the South West’s new-build infrastructure programme where the cement used was prone to concrete cancer. Lafarge had to admit this to the Bilderberg group of top industrial companies that were advised in those days by politicians such as former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Margaret Thatcher and former US President George Bush. I have been told that Lafarge were very nearly were expelled from the Bilderberg group because of this revelation.

Did they learn from this lesson or did they continue seeking ways to undermine their product in the quest for greater profitability? Well it seems not.

The current scandal in the news is about autoclave aerated concrete which has been used in schools and other infrastructure buildings from the same period in time.

The question to the cement companies such as Lafarge should now be, did they promote and sell this product into the market for use in the way that it has been?

Surely it is for the cement manufacturer to give their reputational agreement for the use of this product? Then, if it fails, for them to have some insurance that can be applied for by local councils.

At this moment in time in the news debacle, I have heard no mention about the accountability of the base product that was used to build some schools whose structural integrity is now seriously flawed.

I would welcome any feed-back about this issue, including a new line of enquiry into the reputation of the cement companies and their manufacture of a product fit for use.

Remember that in Ancient Rome cement was used in the construction of roofs and buildings, and they still stand to this day.

David Levy