| 14/11/2005
- A Runcorn company was fined £10,000 today (Friday)
for polluting the Manchester Ship Canal.
Trelleborg Fillite Ltd, of Goddard
Road, was also ordered to pay £2,000 costs to the
Environment Agency, which brought the prosecution.
The company is one of the world’s
largest recyclers of cenospheres, high performance filler
materials which are primarily used to reduce the weight
of plastics and rubber such as for PVC floors and brake
linings.
Jennie Frieze, prosecuting for the
Environment Agency, told Runcorn Magistrates’ Court that
Environment Agency officers visited a public water sewage
discharge at the Manchester Ship Canal towards the rear
of an industrial estate in Runcorn. Together with a United
Utilities employee the officers traced the white discharge
through to a surface water sewer and a manhole located
at the entrance to the company’s premises.
The vehicles carrying cenospheres
were being washed down to de-contaminate them. This water
entered the yard’s drainage system and discharged into
the canal.
Under cautioned interview, the managing
director of the company said that he thought the vast
majority of the problem was caused by the washing down
of vehicles in his yard.
The company pleaded guilty to causing
polluting matter to enter controlled waters.
hearing Environment Officer Simon
Crozier said: "The company retains an Environmental
Health and Safety Consultancy Firm and employs an Environmental
Director so such an obvious act of pollution should have
been recognised. If the company was in any doubt as to
its responsibility to the environment it should have contacted
the Environment Agency for advice and this offence could
have been avoided."
For guidance on how to determine whether
pollution of controlled waters is occurring and what to
do to clean it up visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
To report any environmental incident
call the Environment Agency free of charge at any time
on 0800 80 70 60.
Notes:
Trelleborg Fillite Limited, of Goddard
Road, Runcorn, was found guilty of the following offence:
On or around 4 April 2005 it caused
polluting matters, namely cenospheres to enter controlled
waters, namely the Manchester Ship Canal, from its premises
on Goddard Road, Runcorn, contrary to Section 85 (1) of
the Water Resources Act 1991. |
