11/05/2005 - E Harper
(York) Ltd, a contractor working for the utility
company Transco Plc, pleaded guilty at Blackwood
Magistrates Court on Monday (09.05.05) to
polluting the Nant yr Aber stream, a tributary
of the River Rhymney in Caerphilly. The company
was fined £5,000 and was ordered to
pay the full £1,700 costs of Environment
Agency Wales which bought the prosecution.The
offence was contrary to Section 85 (1) of
the Water Resources Act 1991.
The incident occurred between 11 and 12 October
2002, when liquid effluent was released during
decommissioning works at the Caerphilly Gas
Holder Station. A biological survey of the
affected stream indicated that a 1.1 km length
was affected with the majority of fish in
the stream being killed.
Following the case, Agency Environment Officer
Ceri Jones said: 'The discharge was caused
by a misconnection where the surface water
drain rather than the foul sewer was used
for the liquid effluent. This case highlights
the importance of an accurate site drainage
plan to ensure that where discharges are to
be made from a site that the correct drain
is used.
'Unfortunately we have had to respond to
a number of water pollution incidents where
companies have connected their discharge to
the wrong drain, resulting in pollution to
the local water courses. The company had been
previously fined for environmental offences.
We hope that lessons learnt from this case
will ensure that in the future companies will
have full regard to protecting the environment.
'
