Ben Ashmore - 26-Aug-2008
- Environment Agency Officers have been
investigating another oil spill on the Worcester
and Birmingham canal in
Worcester on the 22 August.
The canal basin at Diglis,
south of Worcester city centre, is covered
with a film of what appears to be diesel.
Earlier, Wychbold Swan Rescue rescued an
oiled swan from the basin for treatment.
Michael Morris, the
Environment Agency officer dealing with
the incident said “It is vital that boat
owners make sure that any water they discharge
to a waterway is completely free of oil.
It only takes a small amount of oil to do
a great deal of damage.”
Michael continued: “Anyone
can report an incident to us free of charge
on our Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60
at anytime of the day or night. The quicker
incidents are reported to us, the greatly
likelihood that we can minimise the damage
to local wildlife and apprehend those responsible.”
Environment Agency advises
world experts on saving one of Earth's most
endangered species
Paul Gainey - 28-Aug-2008
- They’ve been travelling the four thousand
miles from the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda,
to the Somerset levels and moors for millions
of years. Now, thanks to work by the Environment
Agency, World experts are getting closer
to working out how to save the glass eel
– one of the most endangered species on
Earth – from almost certain extinction.
Andy Don from the Environment
Agency has just come back from the Royal
Zoological Society in London where he’s
been giving a lecture to top government
scientists and experts from some of the
top universities in Britain.
He was showing them
CCTV footage of his groundbreaking work,
filming juvenile eels - or elver - as they
passed through a series of brand new ‘eel
passes’ which the Environment Agency has
made for them at Oath Lock on the River
Parret and GreyLake Sluice on Kings Sedgemoor
Drain. They’re designed to help them migrate
upstream into fresh water.
The cameras use night-vision
technology to monitor the eels as they move
around after dark. On one night recently,
they picked up ten thousand of them as they
migrated upstream into freshwater. The elvers
stay in our rivers and streams for around
ten years - where they eventually mature
into silver eels - before they start to
head downstream to start their long journey
back to Bermuda where they spawn and eventually
die.
“The seminar I gave
in London went really well and it was a
real privilege to present my work to such
a prestigious audience. It was a great feeling
to know that my work could directly lead
to greater protection of this species” said
Andy who is based in Bridgwater. “What we’re
filming is important. Our rivers in the
South West play a vital role in the life
cycle of the eel. Although they’ve declined
in number around Europe since the mid 1980’s,
here in the South West they have stabilised.
The eels play a vital role in our river
ecology and are an important source of food
for species such as the bittern and otter.”
Andy’s project is part
of work to help create an Eel Management
Plan which will be sent off to the European
Parliament. Brussels will then use this
information to develop a road map to help
save the eel. One of the recommendations
is likely to be the building of more eels
passes to help the eels get past weirs and
other obstructions. The Environment Agency
is actively looking into installing more
passes in the Somerset and Bristol catchment
areas.
Andy went on the say:
“Some people might care about eels. But
they should. They get flushed to Europe
by the Gulf Stream – the current of warm
water which stabilises the climate of the
British Isles. We still don’t know for sure,
but the decline of glass eels could be an
indicator of changes which are happening
to the Gulf Stream.”
+ More
Redditch company fined
for polluting
Ben Ashmore - 28-Aug-2008
- On Wednesday 27 August 2008, FormFin Limited
of Merse Road, Redditch pleaded guilty at
Redditch Magistrates Court to polluting
the Blacksoils Brook and River Arrow.
The charges were brought
by the Environment Agency under the Water
Regulation Act. FormFin Limited was fined
£3,000 and ordered to pay costs of
£2,400.
For the Environment
Agency, Claire Andrews told the court that
FormFin Ltd run a mechanical finishing company
in Redditch. On Monday 15 October 2007,
the Environment Agency and Severn Trent
received a report of pollution in Redditch.
Environment Agency Officers
investigated the pollution at the nearby
Arrow Valley County Park and found a white
substance coating the bottom of the water
channel in the river outlet. An inspection
of a surface water manhole near to the FormFin
Ltd depot uncovered a lime green/yellow
liquid being discharged into the sewer from
the direction of the site. A further inspection
of the River Arrow in the Arrow Valley Country
Park showed the water had turned a cloudy,
milky white colour, which worsened throughout
the course of the day.
FormFin Ltd were interviewed
under caution by the Environment Agency
on the 10 December 2007. During the interview
the company admitted that the onsite pump
dealing with the waste had broken down and
the tank which was used to contain the waste
had overflowed. This overflow had resulted
in the waste entering the storm water drain
through a crack in the pipe. The pump breakdown
was only noticed by FormFin Ltd when alerted
by the Environment Agency and Severn Trent
site visit.
Speaking after the case
Joanne Green, an Environment Agency Officer
involved in the investigation said: “Taking
enforcement action against FormFin Limited
for causing pollution illustrates to other
companies that this is not acceptable. Measures
must be taken by companies to help prevent
pollution incidents like this occurring.“
In mitigation, FinForm Ltd said the fault
that caused the pollution has now been rectified.
+ More
Asbestos waste on farm
Rita Penman - 29-Aug-2008
- A farmer who stored waste on his land
close to work being carried out on a sea
wall, has (Tues) been fined £4,000
and ordered to pay full Environment Agency
costs of £3,582 after pleading guilty
to breaching the Environmental Protection
Act 11000.
Howard Alexander Baker
of Lovedown Farm, Lower Road, Hockley, Essex
was visited by Environment Agency officers
in June last year after a report he was
taking waste onto the farm. He told them
that he was bringing in soil for ongoing
work to a sea wall.
The officer told him
that the majority of the wastes he had on
site were not suitable for that use and
that to store waste on the farm he would
need a waste management licence or an exemption.
Mrs Anne-Lise McDonald
prosecuting told Harlow Magistrates’ Court
that waste at the farm included green waste,
concrete, mixed soil, chipboard, plastic,
garden furniture and even an armchair.
In July when two Environment
Agency officers again visited the site,
Baker refused entry to the farm and told
them to come back in seven days with 24
hours’ notice. A few days later they returned
again with officers from the Agency’s Environmental
Crime Team and a warrant to enter the farm.
They seized pieces of
chrysotile asbestos and found piles of wood
and green waste heavily contaminated with
treated wood products, plastics, paper,
metals, roofing felt, drain pipes and other
materials as well as two large piles of
ash and burnt wastes.
Behind some waste they
found a ditch which had been filled in with
hardcore and soils. Among the waste were
two more pieces of chrysotile asbestos and
even more was found among other waste.
Officers were unable
to interview Baker at their offices after
he failed to attend a meeting.
Mrs McDonald told the
court that the farm was close to several
important local, national and international
conservation sites and although there had
been no evidence of pollution to the environment
the waste had spoiled the look of the countryside.
‘Whilst it is not clear
what Mr Baker’s purpose was in keeping some
of the waste, as he did not attend interview
under caution, he was aware of the need
for a waste management licence or exemption
for the activities on site,’ said Mrs McDonald.
‘Although the offence
covers just over a month there was evidence
that waste had been stored on the site for
some time,’ she said.
Baker pleaded guilty
to keeping controlled waste on land at Lovedown
Farm, Lower Road, Hockley, Essex, between
18 June 2007 and 31 July 2007 when there
was not in force a Waste Management Licence
granted by the enforcing authority pursuant
to sections 35 and 36 of the Environmental
Protection Act 11000 authorising the said
keeping, contrary to Section 33(1)(b) and
section 33(6) Environmental Protection Act
11000.
After the hearing Environment
Agency officer Jenny Martin said: ‘The waste
permitting system is designed to protect
the environment and human health. By avoiding
the costs involved in obtaining and working
to the standards required by a permit, Mr
Baker undermined the legitimate waste management
industry.
‘This case shows that
the Environment Agency takes it role as
a regulator seriously and will hopefully
deter others from disposing of waste illegally.’
