‘To
fulfil our vision of a better environment
for present and future generations, we will
develop an Agency where all employees are
actively supported in giving their best
contribution to the Agency's aims and objectives.
This means attracting people from all parts
of the community, valuing the differing
skills and abilities of all our employees
and responding flexibly to the needs of
individuals in achieving organisational
goals.’
Environmental offences
cost Hampshire landfill site owners over
£7000
Lucy Harding - 9-May-2008
- The Environment Agency has prosecuted
the owners of a Hampshire landfill site
after the company twice committed an error.
Veolia Environmental
Services (Hampshire), who operate the Efford
Landfill Site at Milton Road, Pennington
pleaded guilty to both offences at Lyndhurst
Magistrates Court on Wednesday 7 May. The
company was fined a total of £5000
and ordered to pay costs of £2150.
Veolia Environmental
Services (Hampshire) has a consent to discharge
trade effluent, which includes site drainage,
from the landfill site into the Keyhaven
Marshes. The conditions of the agreement
ensure that the natural environment of the
conservation area is protected and there
is no negative impact on the marshes.
At the time of the offences,
the consent required the company to meet
a level of no more than 10 milligrams per
litre of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
and 60 milligrams per litre (mg/l) of suspended
solids . BOD is the measure of the amount
of oxygen taken up by bacteria entering
a watercourse. At high levels it can strip
the river of oxygen and aquatic life can
suffocate. Suspended solids can interfere
with fish gills and blanket the bottom of
a stream.
On 17 January 2007,
an Environment Agency officer took a routine
sample at the landfill site and it showed
that the suspended solids level was 121mg/l,
over twice the agreed consent. The company
had also taken their own sample on that
day and this gave a reading of 127mg/l.
A further sample was
taken on 27 February 2007 and this time
the results showed that the BOD level was
20.1mg/l or again twice the consent.
Environment Officer
Emma Hartwell said: “These two incidents
could have caused damage to the Keyhaven
Marshes where the water is discharged. The
marshes are a very sensitive habitat and
have several environmental designations.
The company had taken its own samples and
so were clearly aware that the water they
discharged was double the permitted level,
but they failed to take any action.
“This result sends out
a clear message that large companies such
as Veolia have a responsibility to ensure
that their operations do not have an adverse
impact the local environment, and that the
Environment Agency will not take breaches
of this nature lightly.”
Ends
+ More
Environment Agency warns
- play safe and don't dive in to hidden
dangers
Catherine Burbage -
12-May-2008 - The current sunny spell makes
jumping into cooling water very inviting
but the Environment Agency is warning that
it can result in serious injuries, and even
death. There are often hidden structures
such as submerged concrete parapets or objects
like shopping trolleys and stolen bicycles
waiting to trap the unwary.
Environment Agency Waterways
Manager Irven Forbes stresses the following
message: “We don’t want to sound like killjoys
but this is a very important safety message.
The cost of a quick dip could be a very
high price to pay – don’t swim in rivers,
lakes or canals. Be safe and have fun by
using your local swimming pool or designated
swimming areas.”
“We’re also having a
particular problem at the moment with people
vandalising lock and sluice gates and mechanisms.
If we do get very heavy rain as we did last
summer, this could result in people suffering
the misery of flooding because we can’t
close gates or operate them as we should
do.”
Vandalising lock gates
and mechanisms is a criminal offence and
could result in a court appearance and fine.
It is a criminal offence to damage or interfere
with any structure on a recreational waterway.
In addition it is an offence to bathe or
swim within 36 metres upstream or downstream
of a lock or in any lock pen or to dive
or jump into a recreational waterway from
a lock.
Locks are busy with
narrow boats and cruisers at the moment
and it’s very difficult for them to see
heads bobbing in the water so swimmers could
easily be run-down. You cannot judge the
depth of water just by looking at it and
there are currents you cannot see. Underwater
machinery starts up without warning.
Because the water in
rivers, lakes and streams is untreated it
can harbour the leptospirosis virus, spread
by rat urine, which enters the body through
cuts, grazes or the mouth lining causing
Weil’s Disease and unless treated in the
early stages could be fatal. It causes aches
and pains, similar to ’flu, a couple of
weeks after infection.
Most people who drown
in rivers can swim, but die because of the
shock of cold water temporarily paralysing
them. You might think the warm weather will
raise river temperatures so the shock from
cold water isn’t a risk, but the water temperature
doesn’t rise a great deal because it is
flowing and constantly fed by underground
sources.
High air temperatures
such as those predicted also mean the differential
between the air and water can be greater
than normal.
Hidden dangers can cause
broken legs and other injuries or trap or
entangle a swimmer dragging them under the
water.
Even playing in a group
may not protect children, as they often
confuse thrashing about in the water or
disappearing under it as a game until it’s
too late.
+ More
Pollution-hit river
re-stocked with fish
Mike Dunning - 12-May-2008
- The Environment Agency has teamed up with
a Hampshire trout fishery to re-stock a
section of the River Stour in Dorset after
the local fish population was virtually
wiped out by pollution.
An estimated 15,000
fish died on the Stour and two of its tributaries
last summer following a pollution spill.
Despite a full investigation, the source
was never traced, but it is believed to
have come from a farm. The fish casualties
included roach, chub, perch and pike.
Now, thanks to the support
of the Rockbourne Trout Fishery and local
anglers, the Agency has released some 10,000
roach into the Stour and Lydden to help
the local fish population recover.
The roach were removed
from two lakes at Rockbourne by Agency officers
using nets. The fish were surplus to requirements
as the fishery is primarily concerned with
trout and was therefore willing to donate
them to the restocking of the upper Stour.
The Agency was also
helped by members of Sturminster Hinton
Angling Club who suggested the best locations
to release the fish. Members have agreed
to report their catch figures to the Agency
to help it monitor local fish numbers.
‘This stocking is a
terrific boost for the Stour and two of
its tributaries that bore the brunt of last
summer’s pollution. We are particularly
grateful to Rockbourne Trout Fishery for
their support and generous donation of the
fish. said Andy Martin for the Environment
Agency.
‘This latest introduction
supports our ongoing programme of re-stocking
on the Stour and other local rivers. In
the past we have introduced bream, chub
and roach reared at the Environment Agency’s
Calverton Fish Farm,’ he added.
One person badly affected
by last August’s pollution was Chris Bailey
who owns Bagber Bridge fishery on the River
Lydden, ‘The pollution virtually wiped out
my fishery. I am very grateful to the Environment
Agency for taking this care of the river
and for helping by re-stocking. The number
of fish greatly exceeded my expectations,’
he said.
