12/05/2005 - Repeated
oil pollution incidents have prompted Environment
Agency officers to appeal for anyone with
knowledge of Dalton Airfield, North Yorkshire,
to come forward.
Since March 2004 the Environment Agency has
been investigating oil appearing on Cod Beck
and the River Swale. Although minor, the incidents
are fairly regular and are of concern because
of their frequency.
It could be that a business is losing oil
without realising it, which would be costing
money without them knowing.
The discovery of an underground oil-filled
pipe by a farmer led the Agency to investigate
Dalton Airfield which is now partly used as
agricultural land and also houses industrial
units.
Built for the Second World War the airfield
was only in service during the conflict but
was later used by the armed forces for training
and storage. The airfield’s drainage is mostly
underground and is thought amount to 50 miles
of pipes.
Environment officer Malcolm Perkins explains:
"Oil pollution incidents can be very
difficult to pin down, especially when they
are intermittent like these. We have consulted
the National Achieves and various RAF museums
in an effort to trace the original airfield
plans but to no avail. This lack of information
is hampering our investigation.
"If anyone who served at Dalton airfield
or was involved in its construction would
get in touch with us we may be able to get
to the bottom of it."
Action has been taken by the Environment
Agency to contain and remove as much of the
oil as possible. By doing this the effects
on Cod Beck and the River Swale have been
minimised.
During their investigation, officers have
identified a number of sites where activities
unrelated to the oil but which could cause
other pollution have been taking place. Pollution
prevention advice has been given where appropriate.
Anyone with information they think will be
of use to the investigative team should call
the Environment Agency’s hotline number on
0800 80 70 60.
