Lyn Fraley - 6-Feb-2007 - The Environment Agency is inviting farmers and farm advisors with land in the Tern and Roden catchments to come along to an Introductory Roadshow, held in conjunction with Ruralscapes, to find out how they can save money and improve the environment.

The Roadshow will take place on Tuesday 20 February 2007 at 7.30pm at the Dickin Arms, Loppington, Wem and will include a free supper.

Advisers from Ruralscapes will explain how farmers can save money and get better access to funding by taking up the following free advice:

up to three days of free farm consultancy visits, per farm, on a one to one basis
a series of twelve workshops, beginning in April this year
A Nutrient Management Plan, prepared on an individual basis for each farm, will ensure that the amount of fertiliser used by farmers is enough to get a good crop, but not so much that it wastes their money and damages water quality in the rivers.

The Rivers Tern and Roden have been selected for this project because current land use is affecting water quality.

Catchment Co-ordinator, Jenny Gamble says: "If farmers use too much fertiliser it wastes money and affects water quality. They might just as well throw their money straight in the river. We are encouraging them to attend this Introductory Roadshow where we can show them how to keep more of their hard earned cash, get good crops and improve the quality of their local rivers."

The Roadshow is being held in conjunction with Ruralscapes and is open to any farmers and farm advisors whose land drains into the Rivers Tern and Roden. To book a free place, contact Tim Ashley of Ruralscapes on 01691 690707, mobile 07841 502280.

River Ebbw better protected against pollution

Martin Watkins - 5-Feb-2007 - Rigorous monitoring of the drainage systems on two industrial estates in the Crumlin area near the River Ebbw has brought major benefits to the local environment. Environment Agency Wales, with the assistance of Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Caerphilly County Borough Council have worked together to find solutions to an ongoing pollution problem.

Site visits to organisations and businesses on the estates, to give out pollution prevention advice has also raised their awareness of how they can manage their premises to avoid any risks to the environment.

The area has suffered from a series of major pollution incidents over the last few years. Both initiatives have helped to prevent a recurrence of such incidents over the last 16 months.

During the late summers of 2003, 2004 and 2005 there were serious pollution incidents traced to Crumlin Culvert, which killed tens of thousands of fish in the River Ebbw. The 2005 incident, which was the most serious killed 18,000 fish, mostly young salmon and trout. They were killed by detergent which was traced to the culverted drainage system, which is linked to the Pen Y Fan and Croespenmaen Industrial Estates.

Last year the Agency adapted its telemetry systems to monitor for indications of any pollution in the culvert. If levels of contamination reach a certain amount an alarm is sent to a mobile phone and response team is sent out to assess any pollution.

Karen Bowen, an Agency Environment Officer said: ‘We have worked with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Caerphilly County Borough Council to update drainage plans. We have also put special monitors in the drains, which are left in for a month at a time and absorb any chemicals that enter them. We will continue the same high level of monitoring throughout 2007.

‘We would also like to thank the organisations and businesses on Pen Y Fan and Croespenmaen industrial estates for their co-operation in tackling this recurring problem.’

Since 2001 Environment Agency Wales have received grant in aid from the Welsh Assembly Government to tackle diffuse pollution in Wales. Local environmental monitoring results have been assessed using a diffuse pollution model and stretches of river have been prioritised for action. In the Valleys area, Crumlin Culvert was one of these stretches, considered to be a high priority because of the previous incidents.

Environment Agency surveillance nabs illegal waste operator

Tyrone Magunda - 6-Feb-2007 - On 5 February 2007, Russell Hamblett trading as Russells Skips pleaded guilty at West Bromwich Magistrates Court to three charges relating to the depositing and keeping waste without a Waste Management Licence.

The charges were brought by the Environment Agency under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act (11000). Russell Hamblett was fined a total of £900.00 and was ordered to pay costs of £1,267.78.

For the Environment Agency, Kiran Cassini told the court that Russell Hamblett was a registered Waste Carrier operating a skip hire business from a yard in William Street, West Bromwich. This yard was not licensed for the deposit, keeping, treating and disposal of waste.

During May 2006, Environment Agency officers carried out surveillance of Mr Hamblett’s premises. A small skip loader lorry was regularly witnessed entering and leaving the premises. Every working day about four skips containing waste were being brought into the site. Most of the waste contained in these skips was tipped out into a larger skip positioned in the central area of the yard. From time to time, the bucket of an excavator machine was used to compact waste down into this skip.

On 9 June 2006, Environment Agency officers returned to the site and saw Mr Hamblett was still keeping waste.

On 28 June 2006, Russell Hamblett was formally interviewed. He admitted that some skips containing waste were being brought back to the William Street yard in busy periods rather than being taken directly to licensed sites.

Speaking after the case, Alan Grimley, an Environment Agency officer involved in the investigation said: "A Waste Management Licence stipulates the controls required on waste facilities to protect the environment and prevent harm to human health. This case highlights the fact that the Environment Agency will not hesitate to prosecute businesses and individuals that conduct waste activities without the required and specified Waste Management Licence".

In mitigation, the Court were told that since this incident, Mr Hamblett had spent over £13,000 in order to bring the site up to the necessary standard required for a Waste Management Licence. A revised application for a Waste Management Licence would be made within the next few days.

In dealing with sentence, The Court indicated that offences such as these were serious. They had taken into account the money that Mr Hamblett had spent on remedial work and gave credit for an early guilty plea and co-operation with the Environment Agency.