Witham Magistrates Court today (Mon) ordered the company to pay a fine of £5,000 and costs of £2,017 after it pleaded guilty to causing the pollution in February.

The acid was spilt on the road outside the front of the company’s premises in Springwood Industrial Estate, Braintree when a container was being unloaded with a fork lift truck.

A valve on the container was knocked causing a leak and staff then washed the acid into a road drain using buckets of water. But the drain, designed to carry rainwater, led into the River Brain, and the chemical killed bullhead, minnow, stone loach, stickleback and eel.

The forklift truck driver was unable to stop the leak as he had no easy access to protective clothing so could not approach the container. It was not until the managing director Alan Joyce arrived and took over that the leak was stopped.

Magistrates heard that the container was being unloaded in the wrong place at the company’s premises. There was a yard at the back which was safe for deliveries – it had a sealed drainage system feeding into an effluent treatment plant before disposal into a foul sewer.

If the spill had happened there it would have been contained and not caused a problem to the environment.

About 600 litres of hydrochloric acid was spilt and as well as company employees washing it away with buckets of water, the managing director also told the fire brigade to dilute the chemical. They used 12,000 litres of water to flush it through the surface water sewer.

Braintree Electro-Platers pleaded guilty to: On 10 February 2005 you did cause poisonous, noxious or polluting matter namely Hydrochloric Acid to enter controlled waters, namely the River Brain at Braintree in the County of Essex. Contrary to s85(1) and s 85(6) Water Resources Act 1991.

After the hearing Environment Agency team leader Mike Webley said: ‘This incident highlights the risks of handling dangerous chemicals and how easy it is to pollute local watercourses with devastating effect.

‘It is hoped that this prosecution will act as a clear reminder to anyone that handles chemicals of the need to have proper procedures in place and to follow them at all times.

‘This company had procedures and if they had been followed there would have been no discharge of highly polluting acid to the River Brain.’

‘We would recommend that companies handling chemicals contact their local Environment Agency office where they can obtain free pollution prevention advice.

Anyone who does have a spillage of chemicals should contact us immediately so that we can give appropriate advice to limit any environmental damage and minimise clean up costs.’

Incidents should be reported through the 24-hour emergency hotline number 0800 807060.

For free pollution prevention advice phone the National Customer Contact Centre on 08708 506506.