14/11/2005 - A Runcorn company was fined £10,000 today (Friday) for polluting the Manchester Ship Canal.

Trelleborg Fillite Ltd, of Goddard Road, was also ordered to pay £2,000 costs to the Environment Agency, which brought the prosecution.

The company is one of the world’s largest recyclers of cenospheres, high performance filler materials which are primarily used to reduce the weight of plastics and rubber such as for PVC floors and brake linings.

Jennie Frieze, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told Runcorn Magistrates’ Court that Environment Agency officers visited a public water sewage discharge at the Manchester Ship Canal towards the rear of an industrial estate in Runcorn. Together with a United Utilities employee the officers traced the white discharge through to a surface water sewer and a manhole located at the entrance to the company’s premises.

The vehicles carrying cenospheres were being washed down to de-contaminate them. This water entered the yard’s drainage system and discharged into the canal.

Under cautioned interview, the managing director of the company said that he thought the vast majority of the problem was caused by the washing down of vehicles in his yard.

The company pleaded guilty to causing polluting matter to enter controlled waters.

hearing Environment Officer Simon Crozier said: "The company retains an Environmental Health and Safety Consultancy Firm and employs an Environmental Director so such an obvious act of pollution should have been recognised. If the company was in any doubt as to its responsibility to the environment it should have contacted the Environment Agency for advice and this offence could have been avoided."

For guidance on how to determine whether pollution of controlled waters is occurring and what to do to clean it up visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk.

To report any environmental incident call the Environment Agency free of charge at any time on 0800 80 70 60.

Notes:

Trelleborg Fillite Limited, of Goddard Road, Runcorn, was found guilty of the following offence:

On or around 4 April 2005 it caused polluting matters, namely cenospheres to enter controlled waters, namely the Manchester Ship Canal, from its premises on Goddard Road, Runcorn, contrary to Section 85 (1) of the Water Resources Act 1991.