Mike
Dunning - 12-Oct-2006 - A Devon-based abattoir
company has pleaded guilty to causing a serious
pollution incident that contaminated part of the
River Tone at Taunton with diesel oil. The case
was brought by the Environment Agency.
Stillman’s (Somerset) Ltd, of
Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton today agreed
to pay legal and pollution clean-up costs of more
than £3,400 following the prosecution.
The spillage was reported on
December 22, 2005 by a member of the public after
they saw oil flowing down Norton Brook at Roughmoor,
Taunton.
Agency officers attended the
scene and traced the pollution to Stillman’s Abattoir
at Staplegrove Mills where they found fuel oil
entering the Back Stream through a pipe in the
bank. The surrounding stream had a ‘thick covering’
of red diesel and there was a strong smell of
fuel in the air.
The oil was leaking from the
abattoir’s surface water drainage system. Inside
the yard was a large diesel storage tank. When
examined, a valve on a flexible pipe leading from
the tank was found to have been left open. There
was no lock on the tank or valve.
A boom was deployed on the Back
Stream to prevent the spillage going further downstream
and samples taken that later showed the pollutant
to be diesel/heating oil.
The abattoir owners brought
in contractors to clean up the spillage and prevent
further pollution. As a precautionary measure
the Agency deployed additional booms and absorbant
pads downstream of the site.
A court heard that approximately
5.5 km of local watercourses were affected by
the spill including the Back Stream, Norton Brook,
River Tone and Taunton and Bridgwater Canal. The
Environment Agency received calls from several
members of the public concerned about the pollution.
‘This was a serious incident
that resulted in the emptying of a large tank
of fuel oil into the surrounding environment.
Businesses must ensure any fuel on their premises
is stored safely and securely and carry out regular
maintenance checks to prevent spillages,’ said
Catherine Lockwood for the Environment Agency.
Stillman’s pleaded guilty
to causing polluting matter to enter controlled
waters at Staplegrove Mills, Taunton on December
22, 2006 contrary to Section 85(1) of the Water
Resources Act 1991. The company was given a 12
month conditional discharge and ordered to pay
£1,626 in legal costs by Taunton magistrates.
The company also faces clean-up costs of £1,780.
