Ben
Ashmore - 11-Jul-2008 - The Environment
Agency is appealing for witnesses after
the River Stour in Kidderminster was polluted
by a substance we believe to be some sort
of oil.
The incident was reported
to us this morning. An officer attended
along with Hereford and Worcester Fire and
Rescue, who used equipment from their Environment
Protection Unit to contain the pollutant
by blocking the drains.
A specialist contractor
will remove the pollutant from the drains
today. Environment Agency officers have
been on site monitoring the process and
trying to limit the impact on the environment
and an investigation is already underway.
Environment Officer,
Martin Quine, said “We are in the process
of containing the pollutant in the drains
so that it can be removed safely. Hopefully
we will have caught it in time before any
major damage is caused to the environment.
We will not know how this happened until
our investigation is complete but, in order
to take action against the person who caused
this, we are appealing for witnesses.
“Although we cannot
yet say that this is what happened here,
the incident is typical of cases where people
dispose of oily substances or chemicals
down surface water drains. Many people do
not realise that surface water drains, such
as road gullies, usually lead direct to
rivers. They are intended to take clean
rainwater only and must not be used to dispose
of anything else.
“We are appealing to
anyone who might have seen someone pouring
something down a road drain, or anyone who
knows anything about this incident, to contact
us urgently on our free 24 hour emergency
hotline 0800 80 70 60. People may also call
that number to report pollution incidents.
An early report of pollution enables us
to take swift action, where necessary, to
protect the environment.”
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Environment Agency investigates
major fish kill
Mike Dunning - 14-Jul-2008
- Hundreds of trout have died in a pollution
incident on the Pill River in West Somerset.
A mystery pollutant has wiped out the entire
fish population on a four mile stretch of
river between the village of Withycombe
and Blue Anchor near Minehead.
Environment Agency officers
have been on site today recovering dead
fish and taking water samples. It is thought
the fish were killed by a chemical – possibly
a pesticide or sheep dip.
The first dead trout
were found yesterday (Sunday) afternoon
at a holiday park in Blue Anchor. Agency
officers discovered hundreds of casualties
as they began their investigation. Samples
have been send to the Agency’s laboratory
at Starcross near Exeter for analysis.
Officers are working
their way up the catchment and concentrating
their efforts on the area upstream of Withycombe
on the Brendon Hills.
Most of the casualties
were between 6 – 8 inches in length and
included bullheads as well as trout. Close
inspection of the fish suggests they have
been dead for 2 – 3 days.
‘Judging from the number
of fish killed, we believe it was some kind
of toxic chemical. It must have been pretty
nasty because it also wiped out a lot of
the invertebrate life in the stream. In
all likelihood, it was probably a pesticide
or sheep dip,’ said Jim Grundy for the Environment
Agency, who confirmed that as part of their
investigation, officers would be visiting
local farms.
The Agency will continue
to monitor the river and will shortly be
sending one of its environmental appraisal
teams to the site to take additional samples.
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Landowner fined for
obstructing Environment Agency investigators
Paul Gainey - 16-Jul-2008
- A court heard today how a chartered surveyor
threatened to set his dogs on two Environment
Agency officers as they investigated a pollution
incident in the grounds of a large country
house in Cornwall.
John Drake insisted
the officers left Higher Tregawne, Withiel
near Bodmin after they visited his property
on August 30, 2007 to discover why the River
Ruthern, a tributary of the River Camel,
had become heavily discoloured with silt.
Arriving at the property
they saw evidence of dredging at a lake.
Two JCB type vehicles were parked nearby.
It was dark so the officers, who were wearing
high visibility clothing, decided not to
disturb anyone at the house and continued
with their investigation.
Owner, John Drake, arrived
back at the property while they were still
checking for signs of pollution. The officers
explained what they were doing beside the
lake and river, but he became agitated and
demanded they left. He said, ’I will be
letting the dogs out’ and drove off.
Earlier in the day the
Agency had received reports that the River
Ruthern was heavily discoloured. The pollution
affected a four kilometre stretch of the
river down to the point where it joined
the River Camel.
District Judge Farmer
said in the drive to Higher Tregawne there
occurred an ‘unpleasant, unnecessary and
unedifying confrontation’.
‘According to the officers,
Mr Drake was one of the most difficult people
they have ever had to deal with, and when
giving evidence today, Mr Drake’s attitude
was clear for all to see. Had Mr Drake complied
it is likely that this case would never
have reached court,’ said Judge Farmer.
‘Mr Drake was difficult,
so that the officers found it impossible
to complete their investigation. He refused
to give them his address, telephone number,
and said he was going to let his dogs out,
and in the circumstances the officers could
only conclude that this was a threat.’
John Drake, of Higher
Tregawne, Withiel, Bodmin was today fined
£1,000 was found guilty of obstructing
two Agency officers in the course of their
duties, an offence under the Environment
Act 1995.
‘We were trying to investigate
a serious pollution incident and establish
the cause. Fish are especially sensitive
to this type of pollution. The defendant’s
threatening and unhelpful behaviour didn’t
help our investigation,’ said Ashley Davies
for the Environment Agency.
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Environment Agency To
Hear Public Concerns
Ben Ashmore - 17-Jul-2008
- The Environment Agency is inviting members
of the public to make an appointment to
meet officers to discuss any concerns relating
to a proposed soil treatment plant in Nuneaton.
The appointment-only
session is scheduled to take place at Hatters
Space Community Centre, Upper Abbey Street,
Nuneaton from 2pm - 8pm next Tuesday 22nd
July. If you are interested in attending
please contact 01543 404 959 or email midscentral@environment-agency.gov.uk
Should an application
be made by TCSR, we are responsible for
controlling the impact on the environment
that the plant may have. If we do receive
an application from TCSR, we will consult
with the public again on the details before
any decision is made.
Speaking about the proposed
development David Hudson, Environment Manager
for Warwickshire said: “We’ve not yet seen
any technical details other than the planning
application so we aren’t in a position to
speak in detail about what is proposed.
However, Warwickshire County Council have
now permitted the development so our job
is to monitor the plant so that it doesn’t
damage the environment.
“Our permits are designed
to keep pollution of the environment to
a minimum. As long as an application for
a permit meets the correct legal and technical
requirements, the law does not give us the
power to stop it. It is very unusual for
permit applications to be refused for legal
and technical reasons.
“However, if the application
meets the requirements, as most applications
do, we will establish what controls we need
to apply to make sure that it operates in
an acceptable way.
“I realise that there
is significant local opposition to this
plant but I don’t want to give the impression
that we are likely to stop it. Our role
is to ensure that the local environment
is protected and that the plant operates
within acceptable limits.”
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Environment Agency inspects
the river Lud
Catherine Burbage -
16-Jul-2008 - Helping to reduce the risk
of flooding - Environment Agency staff will
be inspecting the River Lud through Louth
on Thursday 17 July to check for any obstructions
which could potentially increase the risk
of flooding.
This includes checks
to see if riparian landowners (people who
own land which borders a river, such as
a garden) have carried out maintenance which
the Environment Agency has previously asked
them to. Riparian landowners have a responsibility
to keep their riverbanks and the adjacent
waterway clear.
The severe floods of
last year washed considerable debris into
the river including collapsed river walls,
old fridges, trees, branches and shopping
trolleys etc which all increase the risk
of flooding, especially if they cause blockages
at the many bridges in the town.
The Environment Agency
removed over 400 tonnes of debris immediately
following the floods last year at a cost
of over £80,000. To reduce the risk
of this happening again, people who own
land immediately next to the river need
to maintain any river walls and not place
obstructions immediately next to the river.
Ian Russell, Environment Agency Area flood
risk manager said:
“Most people have been
really cooperative in undertaking work where
we have requested it following our previous
work through last July and August. Our inspections
will check that everything is now in order,
but we will pursue further action with landowners
if appropriate. By working together we can
all help to reduce a repeat of the suffering
experienced last year.”
Information on the responsibilities
of riparian landowners is available on the
Environment Agency website, ‘Living on the
edge’ section, at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/362926/
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Environment Agency investigates
infilled railway cutting
Ben Ashmore - 17-Jul-2008
- Ashfield District Council have asked the
Environment Agency to investigate, on their
behalf, the possible presence of contamination
at the former railway cutting to the West
of Hucknall Town Centre.
The Council have chosen
us to carry out the investigation because
of our expertise in issues relating to groundwater.
We are working with
Ashfield District Council to address any
risks that the site may pose to human health
and the environment as cost effectively
as possible. We will use contractors, Enviros,
to carry out the inspection. This will involve
taking samples of soil, gas and groundwater.
Until the late 1970s
the site was a railway cutting, cut about
8m into the limestone. In the late 1970s
and early 1980s operators, who are no longer
in existence, filled the site under a waste
disposal licence. This material was meant
to be inert building waste, but evidence
suggests that it was not all inactive. We
want to find out what is present at the
site and whether it presents any risk.
Our investigation is
going to involve taking some samples from
peoples’ gardens. We are working closely
with these households to ensure we cause
minimal disturbance.
When we have got all
the information we need we will make an
assessment of the risks. This will inform
our recommendation to Ashfield District
Council who will decide whether to class
the land as contaminated and a special site.
If the land is determined as contaminated
we will work with Ashfield District Council
and the Health Protection Agency/Primary
Care Trust to decide whether any clean-up
is required.
