04/03/2005 - At Neath
Magistrates Court this week (Monday 28/02/05)
two civil engineering contractors were each
fined £4,000 after pleading guilty to
causing pollution of the River Clydach in
Bryncoch, Neath. Morrison Construction Plc
of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, formerly Morrison
Construction Services Limited, and David Lewis
Civil Engineering Limited of Cardiff Road,
Pontyclun Both companies were also ordered
to each pay £650 each in costs to Environment
Agency Wales who brought the prosecution.
Both companies had pleaded guilty to polluting
the River Clydach, a tributary of the River
Neath, with suspended solids, consisting of
soil and sediment at Bryncoch, Neath, contrary
to Section 85 (1) of the Water Resources Act
1991.
The Court was told that on 4 December 2003,
an Agency officer had been walking the River
Clydach from Neath Abbey upstream as part
of the Agency’s Diffuse Pollution Project.
The project identifies sources of water pollution
and targets improvements. The officer witnessed
heavy discoloration of the river which was
traced to a combined sewer overflow in the
Taillwyd Road area of Bryncoch. On investigation,
the officer found the source of the pollution
to be a pipe, which was taking water from
deep excavations at Ty’n Heol and Main Road,
Bryncoch.
The excavation was for a new mains sewer
system for Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. The pipe
taking the water away was intended to have
been placed into the foul water system but
had been placed into a surface water road
drain, which led via the surface water system
directly to the river. Once the company had
been made aware of the problem, measures were
taken to stop the excavated material running
into the drains and the pipe was moved to
discharge into the foul sewer.
Joanne Thomas, an Environment Officer at
Environment Agency Wales said after the case:
"It is vital that companies who are involved
in working in or near water, are aware of
the impact they may have upon local rivers
and streams. If they are generating contaminated
water on site they should ensure that this
water receives appropriate treatment before
being disposed. The suspended solids that
entered the River Clydach during this incident
would have settled out and coated the river
bed. This incident occurred at one of the
most critical times of year for fish spawning
activity. This is of special concern as salmon
had been seen spawning in this area before
the pollution incident.
"If businesses need advice on how to
comply with water legislation, or Pollution
Prevention measures they should contact their
local Environment Agency Wales Office. Additional
information is also available on the Agency’s
website."
