Post by wnion on Dec 12, 2007 23:44:55 GMT -1
13,000 fish kill costs Tredegar company over £30,000
Written By: Martin Watkins
On Date: 6/12/2007
A Tredegar company has had to pay over £30,000 after pleading guilty to polluting the Nant y Bwch and River Sirhowy in June 2007, which killed 13,000 fish, aquatic insects and a kingfisher. After polluting both rivers with glycerine and fatty acids, Bio Tech Oils UK Ltd of Tafarnaubach Industrial Estate, Tredegar were;
fined £19,000
ordered to pay costs of £1,861
required to cover the £10,000 costs of the clean up operation
in a prosecution brought by Environment Agency Wales at Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court this week (31 October).
On Tuesday 5 June, 2007, Agency officers were called to investigate a pollution incident on the River Sirhowy in Tredegar. The pollution had caused 5km of the river to turn white and in many places a thick cream-like layer of an unknown substance could be seen.
Agency officers, assisted by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water engineers, worked through the night to clean-up the river and investigate the source of the pollution. It was traced to a site on the industrial estate operated by Tredegar company Biotech Oils UK Limited.
Following the case, Environment Officer, Caitríona Murphy, said: “This was a serious pollution incident for Tredegar and the River Sirhowy. It caused significant damage to the river and the wildlife that depends on it.
“This incident could easily have been avoided, but instead, it resulted in the destruction of 5 kilometre of the River Sirhowy, which could take years to recover.”
The Agency is encouraging anyone who sees dead fish, fish in distress or pollution in streams and rivers to call their free emergency hotline on 0800 80 07 60 immediately.
Caitríona continued; “This not only helps us respond to reduce the impact of the pollution, but also helps us gather much needed evidence to find the culprit and prosecute them.
“But we’d rather see companies putting strict measures in place to avoid polluting the environment in the first place.”
Written By: Martin Watkins
On Date: 6/12/2007
A Tredegar company has had to pay over £30,000 after pleading guilty to polluting the Nant y Bwch and River Sirhowy in June 2007, which killed 13,000 fish, aquatic insects and a kingfisher. After polluting both rivers with glycerine and fatty acids, Bio Tech Oils UK Ltd of Tafarnaubach Industrial Estate, Tredegar were;
fined £19,000
ordered to pay costs of £1,861
required to cover the £10,000 costs of the clean up operation
in a prosecution brought by Environment Agency Wales at Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court this week (31 October).
On Tuesday 5 June, 2007, Agency officers were called to investigate a pollution incident on the River Sirhowy in Tredegar. The pollution had caused 5km of the river to turn white and in many places a thick cream-like layer of an unknown substance could be seen.
Agency officers, assisted by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water engineers, worked through the night to clean-up the river and investigate the source of the pollution. It was traced to a site on the industrial estate operated by Tredegar company Biotech Oils UK Limited.
Following the case, Environment Officer, Caitríona Murphy, said: “This was a serious pollution incident for Tredegar and the River Sirhowy. It caused significant damage to the river and the wildlife that depends on it.
“This incident could easily have been avoided, but instead, it resulted in the destruction of 5 kilometre of the River Sirhowy, which could take years to recover.”
The Agency is encouraging anyone who sees dead fish, fish in distress or pollution in streams and rivers to call their free emergency hotline on 0800 80 07 60 immediately.
Caitríona continued; “This not only helps us respond to reduce the impact of the pollution, but also helps us gather much needed evidence to find the culprit and prosecute them.
“But we’d rather see companies putting strict measures in place to avoid polluting the environment in the first place.”