A MAJOR reduction in the backlog of carcasses waiting to be disposed of in the foot and mouth crisis means that a mass burial pit at Ash Moor near Petrockstowe will now be used as a contingency plan.

With more pyre sites, an increase in rendering capacity, the use of the Deep Moor landfill site at Torrington and mobile incinerators, the number of carcasses awaiting disposal has dropped by around 80,000 in the past week.

Although it is likely that the remaining carcasses will be cleared by the time the Ash Moor burial pit is opened on Monday, MAFF said there was still every intention to use the site despite major objections from local people who are concerned about possible public health and environmental hazards.

'There was another outbreak this week so we are not at the end of this yet,' said a MAFF spokeswoman. 'At the moment we do not know how many carcasses are destined for Ash Moor but we needed a contingency plan and this site is the most sophisticated burial system we have.'

The plan for 15 football-sized burial chambers to dispose of 400,000 carcasses has been scaled down to four but MAFF has confirmed that the capacity may increase when and if it is needed.

'We are still awaiting results from Dartmoor and we do not know what is going to happen when cattle go out into the fields after overwintering and come into contact with sheep who may have been harbouring the disease,' added the spokeswoman.

'We hope the foot and mouth crisis will soon be over but the last thing we want is to end up with the same problem where we have loads and loads of carcasses and nowhere to put them.'

She said there were objections about every form of disposal, especially burn sites but with the Ash Moor facility —which involves leachates and gases being removed from the site for up to 20 years as the animals decompose — there was no danger of anything leaking from the sealed containers.

Local residents say Ash Moor will not be a burial site but a 'chemical plant' and fear the long-term affects on their health.

Opponent Joe Skinner said there had been an assurance by MAFF that this pit would only be used during the current foot and mouth emergency but now it had appeared they had changed their minds and were going to keep it long-term.

'Is it a contingency plan for the next foot and mouth outbreak or the next dose of swine fever?' he said.

'We thought this would all be over in 20 years once the animals had decomposed but it could be starting in 20 years. This will be hanging over us for an indefinite period and that is a very worrying scenario.'