A HIGH Court challenge against controversial plans to store hazardous waste at Winsford Rock Salt Mine will begin on Monday.
Minosus, the company behind the work, has been given the go ahead by the Environment Agency to start the process of storing hazardous waste in mines and the High Court challenge represents residents' last chance to stop it.
The challenge was made following the decision last year by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to allow hazardous waste to be stored in worked out parts of the mine.
Peggy Kent, who lives in Moulton, is one of the residents who campaigned against the plans. She said: "We don't know how it's going to go, so we are just hopeful the decision will be in our favour."
Bosses at Minosus decided to wait until after the outcome of the challenge is known before setting a start date although they hope to begin the process in mid 2005.
The plans have been met with widespread opposition from both residents and politicians.
Stephen O'Brien, MP for Eddisbury, slammed the decision by the Environment Agency in August to grant a PCC permit allowing Minosus to begin storing hazardous waste.
He said: "The PPC permit has been issued at this stage without the future legal challenge by my constituents first being heard and decided upon in the High Court.
"I have backed local protesters from the outset and still maintain that John Prescott and the Government have got this wrong and should not have granted planning permission for the disposal of toxic waste in the worked out sections of the mine."
phennessey@guardiangrp.co.uk
