The Cost of Pollution Incidents to Business In the vast majority of the following prosecution stories, the remediation costs are NOT given, these costs normally far out-weigh the fine and in some cases can run into millions.
Chemical Firm Hit With £300k Environmental Incident Enquiry Bill A fire at a chemical factory which polluted the River Colne, is estimated to have cost the company £6m in damages and lost business, now they have been hit with a £300k bill by the HSE and Environment Agency for their investigation into the incident ... To read more about Firewater please click HERE www.examiner.co.uk [December 2010]
Sewage Spill Threatens Olympic 2012 Rowers The growing concerns over an industrial spill causing an environmental disaster and embarrassment at the 2012 Olympics was given fresh impetus with news that Australia's Olympic rowing program is in disarray after the closure of Canberra's Lake Burley Griffin due to a sewage spill. There are high levels of toxic bacteria in the lake after heavy rain last week damaged the Queanbeyan Sewage Treatment Plant causing effluent to flow into the Molonglo River which feeds into the lake ... www.abc.net.au [December 2010]
Firewater Kills Fish And Causes A River Of Foam Up to 100 fish have been discovered dead during an investigation into the effects of a massive fire. The Firewater Run-off from the blaze covered miles of the River Skerne with foam ... To read more about Firewater please click HERE www.thenorthernecho.co.uk [December 2010]
Be Prepared For Environmental Civil Sanctions January 4th 2011 ! Environmental civil sanctions are an alternative means of enforcement to criminal sanctions (including prosecution), available for use by both the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England (NE). The new regulations will allow those who unintentionally commit environmental offences to be given notice that they are in breach of laws, and will have more opportunity to repair damage and change their practices rather than being taken to court. However, those who deliberately or recklessly cause environmental damage will face legal action and their failure to ‘do the right thing’ will almost certainly lead to much harsher penalties ... www.defra.gov.uk [December 2010]
Severe Weather Raises Pollution Concerns Over Use Of Airport Deicers Airports consume vast amounts of ADF (anti-icing/deicing fluid / Glycol) each year keeping their runways free from ice and snow and aircraft safe to fly. Many airports and contractors have been fined and had to face the cost of restoring environment damage where glycol has entered the drains and got into the groundwater and ecosystem. New legislation looks to be on the way for 2011 in the US, with Europe expected to follow ... www.environmental-innovations.biz [December 2010]
Timeline Of EU Disasters That Led To Polluter Pays Principle Legislation Successive man-made disasters have seen the EU adopt rules to enforce the 'polluter pays principle' on companies responsible for major environmental damage. The European Court of Justice concluded that it is only necessary for a member state to establish a weak
link of causation between operators' acts and the environmental damage in order to force payment ... www.euractiv.com [December 2010]
Spill Containment In Extreme Weather No matter how well prepared a site is for a spill incident, everything changes in extreme weather conditions. Basic spill equipment is rendered virtually useless during periods or heavy rain, snow and ice. If you can't find a drain because it's covered with snow and ice, or heavy rain washes away drain mats and spill boons, how can you protect your site and the environment? www.environmental-innovations.biz [December 2010]
Four Taken To Hospital After Freight Depot Chemical Spill More than 30 firefighters, including a specialist hazardous materials team, dealt with the spillage of 400 litres (105.7 gallons) of a highly flammable chemical. Chemicals leaked into the site after two drums of ethoxypropionate were ruptured by a fork lift truck ... www.bbc.co.uk [December 2010]
Swans Rescued From Oil Spill Two swans have been rescued from the River Roch after being found covered in oil by passers by – an oil covered heron is still missing.The Environment Agency, said: "We continue to monitor the situation and are currently working to gather evidence and assess the environmental impact following the spillage. Once our investigation is complete we will decide what, if any, enforcement action to take.” ... www.rochdaleonline.co.uk [December 2010]
Toxins Poured Down Drain Kills Thousands Of Fish Thousands of fish found dead in a Fife burn were probably killed by toxic chemicals dumped down a street drain, according to Scotland's environment agency. Anglers fishing in the Lady Burn in Cupar alerted authorities after spotting the carcasses earlier in November. As many as 5000 fish, mostly brown and sea trout, are estimated to have been killed ... www.news.stv.tv [December 2010]
Does Your Pesticide Storage Need Upgrading? Safety, security and environmental impact are the major concerns when storing pesticides. Proper storage can prevent accidents that could cause property or environmental damage on the event of a spill or fire ... www.gmpromagazine.com [December 2010]
EA ‘Helping Firms Do The Right Thing’ The EA’s new environment and business director, Ed Mitchell is aiming for a lighter-touch approach. "The key priority is to make it as easy as possible for businesses to protect the environment so that they can get on with economic recovery while performing well environmentally," he says. "We want to move to a situation where we are doing all we can to help businesses comply, rather than catching them out not complying.” ... www.publicservice.co.uk [December 2010]
River Tawd ‘Once Again Ruined’ By Diesel Spill The River Tawd has had it’s second pollution incident in two weeks, the earlier incident had turned the river red “like tomato soup". Passers-by noticed the river had turned an unusual colour by the bridge opposite Skelmersdale police station. The EA said the source of the pollution had been identified and "have been working to gather evidence, and assess the environmental impact of the spill” ... www.osadvertiser.co.uk [December 2010]
Welsh Water Firm Admits Polluting Lake With Sewage Water company Dŵr Cymru has admitted allowing untreated sewage to enter Llyn Padarn lake in Llanberis, Gwynedd. Magistrates at Caernarfon gave the firm a six months conditional discharge and ordered it to pay costs of £3,800 following the incident in April. The Environment Agency said the lake was polluted after a sewer failure ... www.bbc.co.uk [December 2010]
Barn Fire Left To Burn Out To Avoid River Pollution Firefighters had to deal with 50mph winds as they tackled a huge barn blaze which destroyed hundreds of tonnes of hay, straw and wood. Fearing Firewater run-off pollution of the local River, "we took the decision to leave the incident to burn itself out.” “following agreement from the Environment Agency” ... To read more about Firewater please click HERE www.icchesireonline.icnetwork.co.uk [December 2010]
Plant Nursery Fined £16k For Polluting Stream A plant nursery has has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £6,178 in costs, after polluting five miles of a stream in Norfolk. The court heard that the polluting liquid had come from a stockpile of bulbs and cut flower stems in the yard at the nursery, and had had a "catastrophic impact” on the local stream. The outlet has now been blocked to prevent further discharge ... www.bbc.co.uk [December 2010]
Agricultural Contractor Fined For Slurry Leak An agricultural contractor has been fined £3,500 after admitting letting around 1,000 gallons of slurry leak, a pipe carrying slurry from the slurry pit to a field burst, leaving slurry to flow into the stream ... www.cambrian-news.co.uk [December 2010]
Water Poison Driver ‘Guessed’ Wrong Tank A driver involved in the UK's worst mass water poisoning has told an inquest he had to guess which tank to put 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate in. It affected the drinking water of about 20,000 homes in Camelford, Cornwall, causing rashes, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers and other health problems ... www.bbc.co.uk [December 2010]
Water Company Fined After Sewage Spill Into River Wear Northumbrian Water has pleaded guilty to allowing polluting matter to enter controlled waters on or before February 5 this year. The Court heard how a sewage pipe burst, contaminating a Beck at Gilesgate, Durham. Raw sewage flowed for more than a kilometre and ended up in the River Wear, near the city’s racecourse ... www.durhamtimes.co.uk [December 2010]
15ft Deep Firewater Foam Kills Fish Following Factory Blaze
Up to 100 fish were discovered dead after products stored at Stiller mixed with water used by firefighters and covered the water with thick foam, in places up to 15ft deep ... To read more about Firewater please click HERE www.thenorthernecho.co.uk [December 2010]
Insulation Firm Fined £17.5k For Washing Oil Down Drain An insulation firm has been fined after letting accidentally spilt oil pour down a drain. The company was fined a total of £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,563.53 plus a £15 victim surcharge fine. The EA discovered staining on the yard of the group's premises and on the road, consistent with someone washing down oil into the drains. There was no spill clean-up equipment on site. ... www.edie.net [December 2010]
Shell UK To Be Prosecuted For Environmental Legislation Breaches The Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have notified Shell (UK) Ltd that the company is to be prosecuted jointly by both authorities. Charges for serious breaches of environmental and health and safety legislation are being brought against the company following an explosion and fire at the Bacton Gas Terminal, Norfolk in February 2008 ... www.iewy.com [December 2010]
New Fish Stocks For Pollution Affected Trent Thousands of fish have been relocated into parts of the River Trent affected by a pollution incident 14 months ago. About 18,000 roach, barbel and dace have been released into two sites on the Trent, at Stone and Rugeley. In October 2009, thousands of fish died in a 30-mile stretch of water between Stoke-on-Trent and Yoxall after a leak of cyanide and raw sewage ...
www.bbc.co.uk [December 2010]
Clean-Up After Marina Diesel Spill A clean-up operation is under way to remove thousands of litres of diesel from a marina in Cumbria. The locks have been closed to reduce the environmental impact by preventing it spreading into the open sea ... www.bbc.co.uk [December 2010]
Chemical Spill At Aerospace Factory Staff were evacuated after a chemical spill at a Flintshire aerospace factory. Four fire engines were called to the scene after there had been a spillage of sulphuric acid and chromic acid at the factory, which makes aeroplane parts. North Wales Fire Service said an environmental protection unit and incident response unit was also sent ... www.bbc.co.uk [December 2010]
Criminal Investigation Begins After Major Sewage Spill Restrictions at a lake in East Sussex are being lifted following a major sewage leak last month. The public had been urged to stay away from Shinewater Lake, Eastbourne, after a pipe owned by Southern Water ruptured into more than a mile of stream. A criminal
investigation has started as Environment Agency officers re-oxygenated the lake to protect the loss of fish and other wildlife ... www.bbc.co.uk [December 2010]
Firewater Contamination - EA To Probe Shropshire Barn Fire Environment Agency chiefs have been called in to help investigate a major barn blaze near Market Drayton and monitor water run-off pollution control (Firewater) which resulted in the death of around 100 fish in a nearby lake ... www.shropshirestar.com [November 2010]
Environment Agency To Face 'Radical Reform’ The long awaited ‘Bonfire of the Quangos’ took place, and the flames were felt most by the Environment Department which had fifty Quangos axed. Natural England and the Environment Agency are to be retained, but both face ‘radical reform’ to make them ‘leaner and more efficient’. As with any business, saving s can always be made and efficiency increased, but the catastrophic consequences of large scale environmental disasters like the BP Gulf spill and recent toxic waste spill in Hungary are frightening reminders that there is absolutely no room for complacency. The EA’s role as educator, advisor and enforcer are all vital, we should ensure that the baby isn’t thrown out with the polluted bathwater, creating a ’speed camera policy’ to plug the hole in revenues, impacting education ... www.environmental-innovations.biz [November 2010]
Firm Fined £13.4k For Waste Water Pollution That Killed Hundreds Of Fish Recontainers Limited pleaded guilty to illegally releasing waste water into Swinnel Brook and the River Ogden, which also damaged the environment, and killed hundreds of fish. They were fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £3,408 costs to the EA ... www.menmedia.co.uk [November 2010]
South West Water Fined £20k For Sewage Pollution South West Water has been ordered to pay nearly £20,000 in fines and costs for polluting a stream in Cornwall. Officers discovered signs of poor maintenance including sewage fungus in an inspection chamber, pipe and filter bed outlet. In places the sewage fungus was as thick as a "shagpile carpet” ... www.thisiscornwall.co.uk [November 2010]
Pollution Black List Shames Big Business To Clean Up Their Act A blacklist of 68,000 companies responsible for pollution is causing those named and shamed embarrassment, forcing them to clean-up their act. Although the list comprises of Chinese companies, the list has created waves around the world, companies like GE, Nike and Walmart have started to use the list as a tool to help their supply chain management. How long will it be before a similar black list is compiled of Western companies ? ... www.abc.net.au [November 2010]
Tyre Depot Owners Face Firewater Contamination Prosecution After Blaze The fire involved tyres and shredded rubber material, and had spread to the site buildings, several site vehicles and fuel storage tanks. The EA are prosecuting the firm under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act ... www.wisbechstandard.co.uk [November 2010]
New Scientific Drive to Tackle Water Pollution A new scientific drive begins 'to finally tackle water pollution more than 250 years after the Industrial Revolution began to poison our rivers, streams and lakes’ ... www.daelnet.co.uk [November 2010]
River Trent Cyanide Spill Kills Thousands Of Fish The long-term impact of a cyanide and raw sewage leak into the River Trent is not as bad as was first feared, the Environment Agency has said. Thousands of fish died along a 30-
mile (48 km) stretch between Stoke-on-Trent and Yoxall last October as a result of the spillage. The investigation is still going on ... www.bbc.co.uk [November 2010]
United Utilities Fined Thousands For Sewage Leak United Utilities has been fined £7,000 for allowing raw sewage to leak into the River Eden. Jane Morgan, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, said the leaks were caused by blockages at the treatment plant ... www.newsandstar.co.uk [November 2010]
United Utilities Fined £15.3k Foe Mersey Sewage Spill The company was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay £1,334.32 costs to the EA. In January 2010, EA saw a discharge of raw sewage entering the River Mersey. The chamber of the pumping station was blocked with fat from the upstream sewer network ... www.liverpoolecho.co.uk [November 2010]
Paper Mill Faked Figures To Hide Level Of Pollution A jury has found a Paper Company guilty of lying about the extent of its pollution of the River Culm to avoid paying up to £1.2 million for an effluent treatment plant. The firm and the technical manager at the time of the offences, deliberately misled the Environment Agency about the levels of pollutants ... www.thisisexeter.co.uk [November 2010]
Chemical Spill Causes Chaos For A12 Drivers And Pollutes Local Stream A tanker carrying 20,000 litres of the chemical linear alkyl benzene, which is an ingredient in detergents, was involved in a crash at the Brook Street roundabout, Brentwood, off the
A12. The entire contents of the tanker flooded onto the road, with much of it pouring into a nearby stream ... www.basildonrecorder.co.uk [November 2010]
Government Cuts Hit DEFRA Hard Defra's budget will shrink from about £3bn this year by about £700m by the end of the four-year spending period, in 2015. As a result, the department and its delivery agencies, including the Environment Agency, which monitors pollution and protects againstflooding, and Natural England, which helps look after the natural world, will shed 5,000-8,000 out of a total of 30,000 jobs ... www.guardian.co.uk [November 2010]
Thames Water Fined £10k For Silt Pollution Thames Water Utilities Limited, has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 after pleading guilty to one offence of causing silt to enter a tributary of the Bydemill Brook in Wiltshire in 2008 ... www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk [November 2010]
Farmer Fined £14.5k For Polluting Stream A Lincolnshire farmer was fined £8,000 and told to pay £6,425 costs, after magistrates in Lincoln heard how he had allowed slurry from manure heaps to leak into a stream ... www.thornegazette.co.uk [November 2010]
Burglary Causes Chemical Spill Staff from businesses on the Crewe Gates Industrial Estate were evacuated after police and fire crews were called to a report of a chemical spillage. The chemical, which has been identified as formic acid, is believed to have been spilled following a burglary ... www.crewechronicle.co.uk [November 2010]
Firewater Alert At Manchester Chemical Blaze A fire at an industrial estate sparked a chemical emergency. The chemical was later identified as being used in the manufacture of detergent, but because of its corrosive nature, United Utilities and the Environment Agency officials have been called out. A specialist firm is now on site working to prevent chemical reaching the drains or local watercourses ... www.menmedia.co.uk [November 2010]
Criminal Investigation Started After Sewage Leak Work is continuing to protect wildlife at an east Sussex lake following a major sewage leak. EA officers are currently re-oxygenating Shinewater in Lake Eastbourne to prevent the loss of fish and animals. It started a criminal investigation after a large amount of sewage entered the lake ... www.bbc.co.uk [November 2010]
River Polluted After Paint Lorry Crash A major clean-up was continuing in Northumberland after waterways were polluted following a paint lorry crash. A curtain sided articulated lorry carrying 23 tonnes of white emulsion paint rolled into a ditch south of the Bridge of Aln pub on the A697 between Rothbury and Alnwick. When the vehicle was righted a large amount of paint entered the Coe Burn, which is a tributary of the River Aln ... www.journallive.co.uk [November 2010]
Farmers Told Keep Run-Off To Minimum During Maize Harvest Farmers harvesting maize are being warned to limit surface run-off and soil loss that could pollute watercourses and cause flooding. Wet weather had softened ground, increasing the risk of soil running off fields into waterways, said the Environment Agency ... www.fwi.co.uk [November 2010]
Environmental Cuts That Didn’t Make The Headlines The Guardian thinks that significant changes to national conservation bodies are passing under the news radar after the spending review 'bonfire of the quangos’. Earlier this week an alliance of groups interested in the River Wye put a proposal to Defra offering to take over the running of the river from the Environment Agency and other public bodies. They suggested this could be a "blueprint" for other river systems. It was a plan apparently in the spirit of the new regime, but Defra appeared to be cool about the idea ... www.guardian.co.uk [November 2010]
Anger Over Raw Sewage In Brook Local residents have been complaining about raw sewage and the quality of the WhelleyInce brook’s water for seven years now ... www.wigantoday.net [November 2010]
Six Water Companies ‘Fail To Hit Leakage Targets’ More than a quarter of all water companies in England and Wales failed to do enough to tackle leaks last year, the industry regulator Ofwat has said. The worst offender was Yorkshire Water which lost on average 295 million litres a day from 2009-10 ... www.bbc.co.uk [November 2010]
EA Using New Pollution Sensors To Tackle River Pollution
A new method for detecting pollution of rivers by diffuse agricultural, highway and urban sources is to be tested by the Environment Agency. A five-month trial on the River Tamar between Devon and Cornwall will involve “a variety of sensors” installed to sample water quality automatically and to relay results electronically ... www.environment-analyst.com [November 2010]
Chemical Spill At Southampton Leisure Centre A Hampshire fitness club had to be partially evacuated after a chemical spill. It is understood the incident happened when sodium bisulfate, which is commonly used to treat swimming pools, came into contact with sodium hypochlorate - bleach ... www.thisishampshire.net
Lorry Spills Cleaning Fluid Contaminating Water A major chemical spill closed parts of a bypass in Manchester and contaminated a 600metre stretch of nearby water. The EA confirmed that the chemical, which they described as an "alkaline solution", had entered the water below the A34 after a light goods vehicle shed its load causing a massive spillage ... www.menmedia.co.uk
Fresh Warning Over Banned Pesticide After Drinking Water Tests The Environment Agency is carrying out more rigorous water testing this season after IPU was found above drinking water standards in samples last autumn. Other key pesticides found at unacceptable levels included chlorotoluron, propyzamide, carbetamide and metazachlor ... www.fwi.co.uk [November 2010]
More Tests On Contaminated Soil At Gasworks A second round of tests is to be carried out on contaminated soil at the site of a former gasworks in Surrey. Waverley Borough Council said it hoped to begin work next month at the site in Farnham where deposits of tarry sludge, wood, slate and rope have been found
www.bbc.co.uk [November 2010]
Southern Water Fined For Sewage Leak Southern Water has been prosecuted for allowing raw sewage to enter a tributary of the River Itchen at Eastleigh. Appearing at New Forest Magistrates' Court the company admitted the offence and was fined £5,000 with £3,440 costs ... www.dailyecho.co.uk [November 2010]
Environment Agency’s Future Uncertain In Face Of Cuts A leak claimed that 180 publicly funded bodies may be axed, in what the media has called a ‘bonfire of the quangos’ amongst those who’s future is uncertain is the Environment Agency. This raises the fear that the vital advisory and educational aspect of their role may suffer as attention shifts to a more reactive stance after spills have taken place. 75% of pollution incidents are estimated to come from non-regulated industries so the need to raise awareness of the legal and moral responsibilities of businesses has never been greater. The prospect of less education could well have catastrophic consequences for the environment and for companies ignorant of the dangers ... www.guardian.co.uk [October 2010]
Contaminated Firewater Tankers Stolen Four tankers, each containing 30k litres of contaminated firewater, collected following a fire at a hazardous waster plant, have been stolen. The fear is that the contents will be dumped down a drain or into a watercourse, before the tankers can be sold by the thieves ... www.bbc.co.uk [October 2010]
Farming Company Fined For Polluting Stream With ‘Foamy Scum'
A farming company was landed with an £8,000 fine after pleading guilty to polluting a Lincolnshire waterway with ‘foamy scum’ ... www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk [October 2010]
80% Of UK Car Wash Firms Don’t Adhere To Pollution Regs The Carwash Association says around 80% of car wash firms in the UK do not adhere to regulations governing issues such as the safe disposal of waste water as outlined in PPG13. There are estimated to be the estimated 16,000 hand car washes in the UK, many on the sites of major supermarkets. It’s estimated that in the UK we spend £500m a year on hand car washes. Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg, any company that hoses down vehicles, bins or mechanical/agricultural equipment must also address the same question, where is the contaminated water going? ... www.bbc.co.uk [October 2010]
Firm Fined £66k For Eight Mile River Pollution One of the UK's leading water and swimming pool chemical treatment companies, whose careless operational practices led to a major incident and decimated the entire fish population along an eight mile stretch of the River Coln, has been fined £66,000.They Plead guilty to "failing to take all measures necessary to prevent a major accident, and to limit the consequences of such an accident ... www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk [October 2010]
Oil Slick Washes Ashore In Essex Four miles of beach at Southend have been affected by oil which was also reported on parts of Canvey Beach. It is believed to have come from a boat in the River Thames and the council is liaising with the Environment Agency ... www.bbc.co.uk [October 2010]
Harmful Effects Of Sewage Water Pollution Sewage disposal forms a chain of adverse effects like increase in Biological Oxygen demands (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen demand (COD), and also leads to spreading of water-borne diseases ... www.water.ygoy.com [October 2010]
Clean-Up Planned For Orange River In Wales Deep in the countryside of rural Mid Wales, the waters run bright orange. The garish hue of the streams running down towards the river Rheidol are the result of decades of metal mining in these green hills ... www.walesonline.co.uk [October 2010]
Petrol Station Fined £10k For Forecourt Leak An oil firm and petrol station operator face a fine after 10,000 litres of petrol leaked out of a fuel tank ... www.cambridge-news.co.uk [October 2010]
Recycling Blaze Raises Firewater Fears A fire which raged through the night reduced a recycling unit in Buckley to a skeleton. “All precautions were taken to prevent any fire water or pollutants from entering the local water system.” ...
www.flintshirechronicle.co.uk [October 2010]
Transport Company Fined For Polluting Thames With Oil A transport company has been ordered to pay a total of £6,867 after pleading guilty to polluting a stretch of the River Thames with oil. The company was responsible for the oil spill which affected about 40 swans ... www.thisislocallondon.co.uk [October 2010]
Environment Agency Warns Farmers Of Woodchip Danger With the price of straw now at £75-£90 a tonne many landowners see woodchip as a cheap, or even free, alternative. However, the Environment Agency raised the alarm after at least four incidents on Anglesey. The woodchip is reported to contain large amounts of potentially harmful items such as glass, nails, treated wood, plastic and metals. All of these could injure livestock, pollute the soil and the wider environment and enter the food chain ... www.farminguk.com
Aviation Fuel Leak As Military Vehicle Overturns On A68 A main road was closed after a military vehicle containing aviation fuel overturned in Northumberland. A section of the A68 was closed while crews attempted to the cleanup ... www.bbc.co.uk [October 2010]
Chemical Spill Closes A446 A chemical spill caused major problems on a main road in north Warwickshire, emergency services closed the A446 Stonebridge Road in Coleshill after three 1,000-litre drums on a lorry began to leak ... www.coventrytelegraph.net [October 2010]
£6.5m Scheme Target Water Pollution From Farms A five-year, £6.5 million project to tackle water pollution from agriculture has been launched by Defra, the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly ... www.farmersguardian.com [October 2010]
Water UK Under Scrutiny English water regulator Ofwat will be reviewed by the government to make sure it is fit to retain its role for future challenges. The review will look at how the non-ministerial government department works, whether it offers good value for money and if it delivers on its aims and objectives ... www.waterworld.com [October 2010]
MP’s Disappointment At ‘Relatively Small Fines’ For Polluters An MP has expressed his disappointment following a decision not to review the “relatively small fines" handed out to companies after the Buncefield case ... www.watfordobserver.co.uk [October 2010]
Pollution Prevention Pays! Good containment won’t just save the environment, it makes sound financial sense and will save your company money. Download this guidance pack from the Environment Agency … www.environment-agency.gov.uk [September 2010]
Deadly Sewage Leak Kills River Wildlife A water company has admitted it is to blame for an untreated sewage leak that left more than 1,000 fish and other wildlife dead in a north Hampshire nature reserve … www.basingstokegazette.co.uk [September 2010]
Pollution Devastates Surrey Fish Farm At least 700 trout have been killed at a Surrey fish farm after the River Tillingbourne was contaminated by pollution. The Environment Agency says it believes it has traced the source of the pollution and will oversee the remediation ... www.fishnewseu.com [September 2010]
Surfers Against Sewage Find Dirty Secret At UK’s ‘Cleanest’ Beaches Surfers Against Sewage claim at least one in four of Britain's premier bathing beaches are failing to meet the strict requirements of their ‘Blue Flag’ designation … www.guardian.co.uk [September 2010]
Sewage In River Lands Thames Water With A £77k Fine Thames Water Utilities Limited has been ordered to pay more than £77,000 after admitting allowing untreated sewage to pollute the River Aldbourne … www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk [September 2010]
MP Says £9.5m Buncefield Fines Were ‘Too Lenient” The MP for Hemel Hempstead, Mike Penning, has described the record fines as “too lenient” and highlighted the fact that the explosion caused over a billion pounds worth of damage … www.lexology.com [September 2010]
Abattoir Fined £24k for Blood Leak A Cumbria-based abattoir company has been fined a total of more than £24,000 for a series of breaches of environmental regulations …
www.meatinfo.co.uk [September 2010]
EA Urge Farmers To Check Slurry Storage Taking action now – while it is drier and easier to empty and check any storage does not leak - can help prevent slurry problems next winter ... www.nfuonline.com [September 2010]
Waste Company Defends Safety Record After £40k Fine The Waste Co was £40k fined after it admitted three health and safety offences involving its handling of flammable chemicals and its equipment, but said it was down to human error and not because there were systemic faults in the business … www.yorkpress.co.uk [September 2010]
Two Welsh Rivers Polluted By Oil Spill EA officers have already identified the source of the spill as a nearby red diesel storage tank. It is believed that approximately 200-300 litres of oil have leaked from the store … www.walesonline.co.uk [September 2010]
Loch Mess Mystery Pollution SEPA are investigating the pollution at the head of the loch, which many believed to be sewage … www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk [September 2010]
Chemical Spill In Primark A section of Hounslow High Street was evacuated after a chemical spill in a Primark shop … www.hounslowchronicle.co.uk [September 2010]
UK Business Facing Wave Of Green Taxes Thousands of British businesses will be liable for significant fines and charges under a new government “green tax” scheme … www.telegraph.co.uk [September 2010]
Sewage Discharged Into River Bann Northern Ireland A member of the Harbour Commissioners has hit out at Northern Ireland Water following a "disgusting" discharge of raw sewage on the River Bann at Coleraine … www.colerainetimes.co.uk [September 2010]
Thousands Of Fish Killed in ‘Deliberate’ Toxic River Pollution Thames Water has admitted it deliberately released a toxic flood into the River Ash. Thousands of fish were killed and people have been warned not to go near the river … www.stainesnews.co.uk [September 2010]
Environmental Firm Caught Polluting Water System A company created to help the environment by producing an alternative fuel source allowed polluting oils to seep into the water system in Birmingham, a court heard … www.birminghampost.net [September 2010]
Cambridgeshire Chemical Plant’s 18 Month Clean-Up The remediation of the land where Bayer CropScience once stood began in March 2010 and is due to complete in around the autumn next year … www.bbc.co.uk [September 2010]
Tyre Blaze Raises Firewater Contamination Fears The Fire Service worked with the Environment Agency throughout the incident to ensure no adverse effects from water run-offs … www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk [September 2010]
Yorkshire Factory Sealed Off In Chemical Spill Drama Dozens of firefighters were called out to deal with a chemical spill at a Sheffield factory which had to be evacuated … www.thestar.co.uk [September 2010]
Thames Water Fined £12k For Raw Sewage Spill Thames Water has apologised after being fined £12,323 for polluting a tributary of the River Thames twice in two years. The company pleaded guilty to two offences under the Water Resources Act 1991 … www.bbc.co.uk [September 2010]
Milk Tanker Spills 10k Litres Into Brook Firefighters pumped out about 10,000 litres of milk from Wellow Brook, which flows into the River Somer following a tanker accident … www.bbc.co.uk/news [September 2010]
‘Drinking Water Safe Despite Pollution’
The Environment Agency have moved to quell fears about land pollution in Breme Park, which has resulted in groundwater underneath the previous United Engineering Forgings site becoming contaminated.Investigations continue … www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk [September 2010]
Swans Rescued After Oil Leak Oil covered the Thames just south of Caversham lock following heavy rain, the leak came from the Vastern Ditch, which receives a large proportion of the surface drainage water from west Reading … www.henleystandard.co.uk [September 2010]
EA’s Probe Into Fish Deaths Continues The Environment Agency is still investigating why thousands of fish died at a lodge in Astley Bridge. Water samples were taken when fish started floating to the surface … www.thisislancashire.co.uk [September 2010]
Playing Field Sewage Leak Angers Residents Heavy rain caused a pumping station in Aldeburgh to overflow, spilling sewage on top of the grass and running close to local allotments … www.eadt.co.uk [September 2010]
Failure To Contain Waste Oil Costs Polluter £5k Birmingham man was fined £2,500 after pleading guilty last week to one charge relating to treating, keeping or disposing of controlled waste oils in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment … www.oilfiredup.com [September 2010]
EA Investigates Death Of Hundreds Of Trout
The Environment Agency is investigating how more than 300 trout died in a river in east Cornwall ... www.bbc.co.uk [September 2010]
Anglesey Fish Farm Under Discharge Investigation A fish farm on Anglesey is being investigated over concerns untreated water is being discharged into the sea. EA Wales said it has made repeated requests for the fish farm to deal with the failures of its waste water treatment system … www.dailypost.co.uk [September 2010]
Sewage Floods Brook After Summer Deluge Sewage was deliberately pumped into a Preston brook following recent heavy rainfall to stop people’s houses being flooded with waste. A clean-up operation is now under way … www.lep.co.uk [September 2010]
Five Firms Fined £10m Following Buncefield Disaster 250,000 litres of petrol leaked from one of the sites tanks resulting in explosions that measured 2.4 on the Richter scale ... www.bbc.co.uk [August 2010]
Anglian Water Fined £50k For Sewage Leak Anglian Water has been hit with a huge fine after letting sewage pour into an internationally protected water course, hundreds of fish and thousands of shrimp were killed by the leak into the River Crouch in Essex ...
www.edie.net [August 2010]
Detergent Firm Bleach Spill Costs Them More Than £70k A firm that makes detergents has been fined after polluting a river with bleach leaving 2ft islands of foam in the water, the firm said nearly £70k has been spent stopping the pollution, investigating the cause and in making improving the site ... www.menmedia.co.uk [August 2010]
Only 26% Of UK Rivers Met Required Level Of Water Quality In 2009, only 26% of rivers, lakes and other water bodies in England met the required levels of water quality, as set out in the European Water Framework Directive ... www.fwi.co.uk [August 2010]
Thames Water Admits Pollution That Killed 1000 Fish Thames Water has admitted it was responsible for killing approximately 1,000 fish found in a polluted stretch of Silchester Brook ... www.getreading.co.uk [August 2010]
Hazardous Waste Firm Fined £52k For Chemical Spill Following an incident discovered by a member of the public, a hazardous waste company has been fined £52k for a chemical spill which killed a large number of fish ... www.letsrecycle.com [August 2010]
Risk Of River Pollution Spoiling 2012 Olympics The 2012 Olympics could be at threat from river borne pollution from the industry along the banks of the Lea Valley ... www.environmental-innovations.biz [August 2010]
Sewage Spill Kills Hundreds Of Trout At Surrey Fish Farm Between 700 and 800 fish died at Tillingbourne Trout Farm in Abinger Hammer when the pollution entered the River Tillingbourne ... www.bbc.co.uk [August 2010]
Dairy’s ‘Ice Cream’ Spill Costs Them £62k A dairy has had to pay a £12k fine and spend a further £50k on site improvements following a 13,000 litre spill of wash water that turned the River Tawd into a ‘river of ice cream’ ... www.champnews.com [August 2010]
Recycling Firm Fined £28k For Oil Spill A recycling company has been fined £28k for twice polluting a dyke with oil, which led to the deaths of two mute swans ... www.marketrasenmail.co.uk [August 2010]
Clay Company Fined For Polluting Devon Stream A Devon clay company has been ordered to pay £7,210 in fines and costs after soil escaped from a quarry site near Plymouth and polluted a small stream ... www.environment-agency.gov.uk [August 2010]
Firm Fined £11k Following Solvent Spill A water company has warned firms to be careful disposing of solvents after taking legal action against a business that allowed it to be poured into sewers ... www.web4water.com [August 2010]
Yorkshire Chemical Company Fined £15k For Environmental Offences
A Yorkshire chemical company pleaded guilty to three breaches of its environmental permit for its site, through the use of zinc oxide, which can be toxic to aquatic life ... www.environment-agency.gov.uk [August 2010]
£250million A Year In WaterPollution Fines Predicted According to the National Audit Office (NAO) a failure to meet the EU requirements, which demand 60 per cent of water bodies reach good standards by 2027, could potentially lead to fines of up to £250 million a year ... www.itn.co.uk [August 2010] Welsh Beach Sewage Leak - Polluter Will Pay The sewage leak has been traced back to a blocked private sewer and the agency said it would ensure work was carried out to avoid a repeat ... www.bbc.co.uk [August 2010]
Southern Water Fined £8k For Polluting River A water company has been ordered to pay out thousands of pounds after polluting an East Grinstead stream with raw sewage ... www.thisissussex.co.uk [August 2010]
Diesel Spill Closes Town Centre A diesel spill closed Wokingham town centre road while emergency services, the council and Environment Agency work to mop up the fuel ... www.getwokingham.co.uk [August 2010]
Firewater Contamination Risk At Packaging Recycler Blaze A serious fire at a packaging recycler in Yorkshire raised fears of water contamination via firewater and foam, company working with Environment Agency ... www.packagingnews.co.uk [August 2010]
United Utilities Fined For Sewage Spill Ecological surveys carried out by the Environment Agency found the pollution had a serious impact on the water quality and ecology of the watercourse with a number of dead stone loach and bullheads ... www.burnleyexpress.net [August 2010]
Welsh Water Fined For Polluting River With Sewage Welsh Water was fined £3,300.00 and ordered to improve it’s equipment after a three mile stretch of a river in Wrexham was polluted with raw sewage ... www.dailypost.co.uk [August 2010]
‘Gender Bender’ Chemicals Pose A Threat To Fish Northern Ireland’s rivers are being checked for ‘gender bending’ chemicals that could threaten the future of fish populations ... www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk [August 2010]
Third Of Britain’s Beaches Pose Sewage Related Health Risks Swimming off a third of UK beaches carries a one in seven chance of contracting a sewage-related disease a recent report claims ... www.themovechannel.com [August 2010]
Anglers Ensure Polluters Don’t Pay ‘Under The Table’ Angling Trust’s inclusion in civil sanctions regime to prevent fear of secretive agreements with polluters where rivers have been damaged by pollution ... www.communitynewswire.press.net [August 2010]
SEPA Outlines Priorities For Scottish Environment Scotland's environmental watchdog has unveiled its plan of action for the coming year as well as a brief analysis of how it thinks it is performing ... www.edie.net [August 2010]
Leeds Chemical Plant Inferno Raises Firewater Risks Following the blaze, local residents were told by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to stay indoors and pay attention to their water supply ... www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk [August 2010]
Environment Agency Look For Help To Identify Black Slop In Drain The Environment Agency is appealing to the public for information about this strange oily substance found in a drainage culvert ... www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk [August 2010]
Accounting Rules Could Force Businesses To Disclose Environmental Impact On Local Water, Plants And Animals Companies could be asked to publish details of their environmental and social impacts alongside their financial accounts under new rules being discussed with the organisations that set accounting standards.News of the initiative – which would mean that businesses have to account for the impacts they have on local water quality, plants and animals – emerged as a major report for the UN is published today. www.guardian.co.uk [August 2010]
Vandals Blamed For Major Chemical Spill
Unless your site has an in-drain auto containment system it’s virtually impossible to be prepared for a Sunday night vandal attack. In this case 3,000 litres of hazardous liquid spilled onto the yard, road, footpaths and into the drains ... www.burtonmail.co.uk [July 2010] [August 2010]
Innocent Developer Faces Multi-Million Pound Clean-up Bill A developer faces a multi-million pound bill to clean pollution found at a site it bought, redeveloped and sold in the 1980s even though it did not cause the original contamination and it had complied with all relevant laws during its ownership ... www.mcgrigors.com [July 2010] [August 2010]
HSE - Warns Learn Lessons Or Be Prosecuted Public liability insurance holders have been warned that they will be prosecuted if they put workers and members of the public at risk. Lessons must be learnt from Buncefield ... www.contractorscompare.com [July 2010]
Corporate Responsibility Is No Longer Optional CSR is no longer optional. “The most successful businesses over the next decade or so are going to be the most socially responsible.” “You know the best way to get the public to respect your brand? Have a respectable brand” ... www.thisislondon.co.uk [July 2010]
Vandals Cause 2000 Litre Diesel Spill Into River Almond Extensive pollution of the Scottish River Almond was caused by vandalisation of a diesel tank ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [July 2010]
How Prepared Are Your Staff For A Spill Emergency?
Employees at Imperial Sugar Company’s Port Wentworth sugar refinery in Georgia are getting continuing hands-on training in handling potential emergencies. Recently, in an emergency preparedness drill ... www.iscnewsroom.com [July 2010]
Firewater Risk More Dangerous Than Fire At Solvent Factory Blaze "After consulting with hazardous materials officers we decided the best course of action would be to adopt a defensive role. "That is not applying water on to the fire for the simple reason of the environmental impact from the water run-off would have been more damaging than the fire itself.” www.news.bbc.co.uk [July 2010]
Plastics Firm Fined For Two Oil Spills At Recycling Facility The court heard that up to a month after the spill proper cleaning had still not been completed. In March of last year there was a second spill resulting in 740 litres of diesel fuel leaking into the waterway after a staff member left the pump going after filling up a fork lift vehicle ... www.recycle.co.uk [July 2010]
UK Beaches Polluted By Thousands Of Sewage Spills There are 15,000 sewage and floodwater overflows; of these, 457 affect designated bathing areas, including 50 blue flag beaches. On the north coast of Devon, three sewage overflow pipes discharged more than 70 times during the 2008 bathing season and more than 50 times in 2009 ... www.timesonline.co.uk [July 2010]
Scotland’s Beaches ‘Amongst Dirtiest In Europe” The pollution of our beautiful beaches with sewage is now worse than that in almost every other country on the continent, according to a new report by the European Environment Agency ... www.heraldscotland.com [July 2010]
Oil Spill On SouthCost Threatens Wildlife Reserve The Environment Agency is investigating an oil spill on the south coast of England that threatens to contaminate a wildlife reserve. Around 20 barrels of vacuum gas oil escaped from Esso's Fawley terminal on Sunday, causing a slick that has washed up on two miles of beaches in Southampton Water and The Solent ... www.dailymail.co.uk [July 2010]
Lancashire Scrap Firm Fined £315k "There were no sealed drainage system and vehicle parts were not stored on a suitably impermeable surface. As such, the site could cause significant harm to the environment” ... www.recyclingtoday.com [July 2010]
River Irk Polluter Taken To Court A town centre chemical firm is being prosecuted after a leak from its factory caused a 150ft wall of foam to appear in the River Irk ... www.menmedia.co.uk [July 2010]
Three In Hospital After Chemical Spill At Food Factory A chemical spill at a Deeside factory left 14 people needing medical attention. Firecrews were called to the scene just before 5am and used an inflatable containment tent and decontamination equipment to make the area safe ... www.leaderlive.co.uk [July 2010]
Warehouse Blaze Forces Pollution Exclusion Zone It has been confirmed that some small amounts of chemicals are contained within the building and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is working with Southern Water and The Environment Agency to minimise any potential risk and prevent the water run-off from entering the watercourse ... www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk [July 2010]
Oil Spill; Millions Spent Over 9 Years On Phase One Of Clean-Up A Spill occurred in 2001 at an underground petrol container and ‘phase one' of the cleanup is almost complete - original fine was £60k but BP has ‘spent millions on the site since' ... www.lutontoady.co.uk [July 2010]
Scottish Water Fined Again For Raw Sewage Spill It's the fourth time in five years Scottish Water has been fined for pollution in the Torry Burn - they were fined £3000 in April 2005, £3500 in September 2006 and £10,000 in January 2007 and £12,000 for the recent pollution ... www.dunfermlinepress.com [July 2010]
Anglian Water Fined For Raw Sewage Spill The legal and investigative costs of the prosecution have been put at £30,000, with Anglian Water also spending in the region of £30,000 on remedial work ... www.echo-news.co.uk [July 2010]
River Could Take 7 Years To Recover From Firewater Pollution The River Colne could take seven years to recover from the effects of pollution caused by the Grosvenor Chemicals fire ... www.examiner.co.uk [July 2010]
£4 Billion Boost For British Beaches More than 160 beaches in England and Wales are to share the benefits of a £4bn investment programme of environmental work to tackle pollution at source ... www.edie.net [July 2010]
Multi-agency Crackdown On Illegal Waste Environment Agency officers have raided a site in Essex believed to be a "hotspot" for the illegal shipment of waste material overseas ... www.letsrecycle.com [July 2010]
Radioactive Waste Casts Doubt of London’s Olympic Legacy The development of the Olympic site in east London after the Games have finished could be in jeopardy because of radioactive waste buried beneath the site, experts have warned ... www.guardian.co.uk [July 2010]
Buncefield Fire - Storage Firm Found Guilty
Company controlled by Total and Chevron has been found guilty of grave safety failures that led to the largest fire in peacetime Europe ... www.guardian.co.uk [July 2010]
Councillor Calls For Return Of Water Bailiffs A local councillor has called for a return to the old style system of bailiffs operating on rivers in a bid to halt what he claims is ever increasing incidences of pollution ... www.ballymoneytimes.co.uk [July 2010]
Oil Spill; Millions Spent Over 9 Years Spill occurred in 2001 at an underground petrol container and ‘phase one' of the clean-up is ‘almost complete’ - original fine was £60k but BP has ‘spent millions on the site since' ... www.lutontoady.co.uk [June 2010]
Environmental Disaster Damages BP’s Reputation Brand And Profits Although thankfully a spill on this scale is a rare and extreme case the financial losses and brand damage should be a warning to any company that has the potential to contaminate the environment on whatever scale … www.thesun.co.uk [June 2010]
“Sewage Spills Will Drive Away Lake District Tourists” "Environment Agency statistics show that a drain on the Glebe Road has overflowed on average 248 times a year since 2000, pouring 131 million gallons of sewage on to the town’s streets and into Windermere annually” ... www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk [June 2010]
Heathrow Airport Fined £200k For Causing Fish Deaths
Heathrow Airport has been fined for causing the death of hundreds of fish in a nearby lake following a spill of de-icing fluids ... www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk [June 2010]
Plymouth Hospital Diesel Spill The spillage involved a fracture to a pipe connected to an emergency power generator at the Hospital ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [June 2010]
EA Cleans Up River Lee As Part of London 2012 Green Legacy Environment Agency funded work to remove 30,000 tonnes of oxygen-depleting sediment, including three tonnes of tyres, three cars, 40 motorbikes and 120 shopping trolleys, from the river ... www.egovmonitor.com [June 2010]
Villagers’ Fury Over AW River Sewage Bid One of the smallest villages in Suffolk is preparing to take on the might of Anglian Water over its plans to pump sewage directly into one of the county’s most attractive rivers ... www.eadt.co.uk [June 2010]
Campaign To Cut Cumbria Lake Pollution Efforts are being made to reduce the amount of chemicals from household detergents and animal waste filtering into lakes in Cumbria ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [June 2010]
Ten People Are Treated After Dorset Chemical Spill Ten people have been treated by paramedics after inhaling fumes from a chemical spill in Dorset …
www.news.bbc.co.uk [June 2010]
Bathing Water Quality Test In South West Bathing water at 191 locations in the South West is being tested to check the quality meets European standards and regulations … www.news.bbc.co.uk [June 2010]
Agricultural Chemical Spills Put Watercourse In Danger Environmental Protection Unit was called to a chemical spillage to stop it from polluting a Herefordshire watercourse … www.tewkesburyadmag.co.uk [June 2010]
Major Sewage leak In Yorkshire Urgent repairs are under way after a major sewage leak in Staithes ... www.whitbygazette.co.uk [June 2010]
Leicestershire Recycling Blaze Cause Firewater Fears A massive blaze at a recycling centre in Leicestershire raised concerns again about firewater contamination ... www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk [June 2010]
Another Fire Another Firewater Risk A major fire at a retail park in Kent raises more firewater contamination concerns due to the contents of the building involved ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [June 2010]
600 Young Salmon Killed in Slurry Spill
A slurry spill is thought to have killed 600 young salmon and trout in a stream feeding the River Teifi ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [June 2010]
“Water Companies Sit Silent In A Pool Of Dirty Secrets” "After all, haven’t the rivers and beaches around these islands been transformed by the £85billion that has been spent since 1989 on cleaning them up?" ... www.timesonline.co.uk [June 2010]
“Environmental ‘Deficit’ Is Greatest Threat To UK” The environmental ‘deficit’ poses a greater threat to the future of the UK than its financial deficit, warns the influential Aldersgate Group ... www.energyefficiencynews.com [June 2010]
“Chilterns Water Affected By High Speed Rail” Water supplies in the Chiltern district could be polluted if plans for a controversial high speed rail link are given the go-ahead, a conservationist has warned ... www.thisislocallondon.co.uk [June 2010]
The Hidden Costs Of A Spill Although the headline says Severn Trent were fined £15k for polluting a river, the true breakdown of what it costs appears at the end of the article, not to mention the environmental damage and death of hundreds of fish ... www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk [May 2010]
£800 Million Buncefield Bill Just The Start As trial Begins one company has already been found 100 per cent liable for some £800 million of uninsured losses in a civil trial ….
www.watfordobserver.co.uk [May 2010]
Preemptive Pollution Prevention Measures Saves Money Director of Marshalls explodes some energy myths and says going green was best business advice ... www.environmenttimes.co.uk [May 2010]
United Utilities fined £22k For Serious Water Pollution United Utilities has been fined £22k for a serious water pollution incident that caused the death of more than 6,000 fish in Southport ... www.theengineer.co.uk [May 2010]
Fire Water Runoff Contaminates Nuneaton River Over the next few weeks the Environment Agency will be monitoring and assessing the long term impact of the pollution on the river environment and fish ... www.mercia.co.uk [May 2010] *Interesting side story to the above on the ‘hidden’ effects and it’s longterm impact on the river, fisherman and the general public www.fishingmagic.com
Raw Sewage Pollutes Snowdonia Mountain Lake The Environment Agency said the untreated sewage entered the lake after a sewer failure ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [May 2010]
Farmer Find £20k For Lack Of Environmental Permit Carlisle farmer admitted operating an intensive chicken farming unit without an environmental permit, when he appeared before magistrates ...
www.meatinfo.co.uk [May 2010]
Water Companies Not Farmers To Blame For Water Pollution Study says household sewage waste rather than farm slurry should be the target of tough pollution measures to reduce phosphorus levels in English rivers ... www.theecologist.co.uk [May 2010]
Hotel Fined Over Cotswold Stream Pollution A hotel has been fined over £11,000 for polluting a Cotswold watercourse for several months ... www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk [May 2010]
Toxic Spill Inquiry The Environment Agency has completed it’s investigation into a pesticide spill that killed thousands of fish in a Somerset watercourse ... www.waterworld.com [May 2010]
Marco Pierre White’s Restaurant Admits Sewage Pollution Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White’s Yew Tree Inn restaurant in Highclere has admitted a series of charges of polluting the environment with sewage ... www.newburytoday.co.uk [May 2010]
Farm Fined Over Stream Pollution
A farming company has been fined £15k after it admitted polluting a Lincolnshire stream ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [May 2010]
Swansea Lake Tested After Vegetable Oil Spill The Environment Agency are carrying out tests to discover the source if an oil leak which polluted a lake ... www.thisissouthwales.co.uk [May 2010]
100 Devon & Cornwall Households Have Been Polluting Local Rivers Wrongly connected waste pipes cause 100 plus households in Devon and Cornwall to pollute local rivers ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [May 2010]
Environment Agency To Carry Out Dye Testing At Exmouth Dye testing of the sea off Exmouth to check the potential impact of a local stream and storm overflow on the town's beaches and bathing waters ... www.waterworld.com [May 2010]
“Weak Ruling” On Sewer Overflows Criticised More than 4,000 UK Combine Sewer Overflows neglect relevant improvements ... www.surfertoday.com [May 2010]
Restaurant Fined For Water Pollution Pollution of the Ballinderry River cost Dungannon restaurant owners £5k ... www.insideireland.ie [May 2010]
Set-back For Super Dairy Plans An 8100-cow "super dairy" planned for Lincolnshire is unlikely to get go-ahead this year ... www.fwi.co.uk [May 2010]
New SystemTo Help Environment Agency The Environment Agency have signed 5 year deal with ABM for a case and investigation system to help manage and prosecute green offences ... www.live-pr.com [May 2010]
Diesel Pollution Hits Liverpool Waterway Investigation begins into source of diesel dumped into Leeds Liverpool Canal ... www.blackburncitizen.co.uk [May 2010]
Scottish River Hit By New Oil Slick An investigation is under way after an oil spill polluted the Water of Leith for the second time in six months … www.news.scotsman.com [May 2010]
Bio-Diesel Pollution Hazard Exposed And Solved By UK Company The Oil interceptors found in filling stations and public car parks are capable of separating insoluble oils, such as engine oil and pure diesel from water, permitting the output to flow into normal water courses. However, with the introduction of bio-diesel oil, interceptors are now defeated as the bio-part of the diesel, usually Ethanol is soluble and emulsifies in the water, thus is able to pass through oil interceptors into the environment causing major environmental damage ... www.environmental-innovations.biz [April 2010]
Recycling Plant Fire Burns For Nine Days Environmental impact feared from firewater run-off as Recycling plant burns on nine days after blaze started ... www.granthamjournal.co.uk [April 2010]
Slurry Disaster Averted By Rain Heavy rain averted a spillage of 20,00 gallons of waste from destroying wildlife in lakeland haven ... www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk [April 2010]
Scottish Water Fined Again Scottish Water fined thousands for second time in a month for sewage spill ... www.web4water.com [April 2010]
Swimming Pool Chemical Company In Court On Pollution Charges A Cotswold swimming pool chemical company who’s factory ‘blew up’ and caused a local environmental disaster faces court ... www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk [April 2010]
Company Fined After Toxic Chemicals Wipe Out Aquatic Life A Chemical company appeared in court after admitting polluting a stretch of the River Colne near Huddersfield with highly-toxic chemicals ... www.fishnewseu.com [April 2010]
Firewater Contamination Fears Following Blaze In Wales Environment Agency Wales are keeping a "watching brief” on major fire to ensure that nearby rivers are protected ...
www.news.bbc.co.uk [April 2010]
Catering Company Fined For Polluting Stream A Fenland Catering Company was fined for polluting local stream with effluent from it’s treatment plant ... www.wisbech-standard.co.uk [April 2010]
Thames Water Begins £85 million Sewage Upgrade Thames Water begins an £85 million upgrade to it’s Riverside Sewage Works in east London to improve the quality of water in the River Thames ... www.trenchlessinternational.com [April 2010]
Major Sewage Spill At Swansea Foreshore A "significant" amount of sewage has leaked at Swansea Bay following the collapse of a foul sewer near the city's foreshore ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [April 2010]
Control of Water Pollution Regs Laid Before Parliament Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations 2010 laid before Parliament ... www.dehavilland.co.uk [April 2010]
River Eden Study Aims To Reduce Farm Pollution
A £2m environmental study is to be carried out in Cumbria in a bid to reduce agricultural river pollution ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [April 2010]
Oil Pollution Kills Kingfisher The Environment Agency investigate oil pollution in the River Salwarpe Worcestershire and start to trace those responsible ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [April 2010]
Consultation On Flooding Begins in Essex & Sufflok Public consultation invited by the Environment Agency on flood defence in Essex and Suffolk ... www.news.bbc.co.uk [April 2010]
Thames Water Begins £85 million Sewage Upgrade Thames Water begins an £85 million upgrade to it’s Riverside Sewage Works in east London to improve the quality of water in the River Thames ... www.trenchlessinternational.com [April 2010]
Wildlife Killed By River Pollution Wildlife killed after three miles of the river Salwarpe became polluted with oil ... www.droitwichadvertiser.co.uk [April 2010]
South West Water Fined For sewage Pollution SW Water fined £5k for stream pollution also ‘invested £10,000 at the site to reduce risk of it happening again’ ... www.thisiscornwall.co.uk [April 2010]
Flood Insurance Predicted To Become Increasingly Scarce Flood insurance is likely to become increasingly difficult to get for commercial property says new survey ... www.balkans.com [April 2010]
Yorkshire Farmer Fined £10k Over Slurry Flood A Yorkshire farmer who allowed manure to flood a neighbour’s home was ordered to pay fine of £10k ... www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk [April 2010]
Withdrawal Of Sheep Dip Chemical Good For Rivers Rivers wildlife will have greater protection from pollution by Cypermethrin sheep dip now permanently withdrawn from sale in the UK ... www.salisburyjournal.co.uk [April 2010]
£10 million To Alleviate Floods In Wiltshire After 14 floods and huge public pressure Thames Water complete alleviation works ... www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk [April 2010]
New Enforcement Powers For Environment Agency For the first time in the UK two green watchdogs have been given civil enforcement powers to help them in the fight against environmental crime ... www.webnewswire.com [February 2010]
8 Out Of Ten UK Ponds In A ‘Dreadful State’
Pollution from farmland, roads and villages has left 8 out of 10 ponds in a ‘dreadful state’ says UK’s biggest ever nature survey ... www.guardian.co.uk [February 2010]
On The Spot Environmental Infringement Fines New powers handed to Natural England and the Environment Agency means "farmers can expect nothing but trouble” ... www.thisissomerset.co.uk [February 2010]
Turkey Factory Fined For Pollution £11k fine for Lincolnshire turkey factory that polluted drains with fat, feathers and blood ... www.web4water.com [February 2010]
Devon Agricultural Contractor Fined For Diesel Spill Pollution of Devon stream leads to fine for agricultural contractor in breach of oil storage regulations ... www.edie.net [February 2010]
Water Firms In Legal Row Over Pollution Water companies have been accused of demanding a “licence to pollute” in a row over the control of sewage outfall systems ... www.express.co.uk [February 2010]
Skip Hire Company Pays High Price For Waste Mountain Bosses of a skip hire company ordered to hand over £234k after admitting waste offences ... www.environment-agency.gov.uk [February 2010]
Big Freeze Leads To Sewage Spill Frozen pipes cause Sewage works to discharge contaminated water into Basingstoke river ... www.basingstokegazette.co.uk [February 2010]
River Pollution Costs Construction Firm £10k A Buckinghamshire Construction Company was fined £10k for turning local river 'orange with pollution’ ... www.web4water.com [February 2010]
Arrests Made At Illegal Waste Sites In Essex Environment Agency targets illegal waste sites for untreated vehicle fluid pollution ... www.ecofriendnews.com [February 2010]
Firewater Contamination From Industrial Blaze Poisons Fish Hundreds of fish poisoned by contaminated firewater following 'arson' blaze at an Industrial Estate ... www.stourbridgenews.co.uk [February 2010]
Change Of Plea In Buncefield Hearing Pipeline Agency changes plea to guilty in Buncefield fuel and firewater chemical pollution case ... www.hertsad.co.uk [February 2010]
Dairy Farm Fined For Slurry Spill
Dairy farm fined for allowing a slurry lagoon to overflow and contaminate a neighbouring stream ... www.web4water.com [February 2010]
Environment Agency Introduces Environmental Tool-Kit For Farmers The Environment Agency develops environmental plan to help dairy farmers reduce pollution ... www.environment-agency.gov.uk [February 2010]
PSLG Publishes New Site Safety Report The Process Safety Leadership Group has published it’s final report on site safety at fuel storage sites ..... www.hse.gov.uk [January 2010]
Lorry Snow Skid Sends Diesel into Lake Multi vehicle accident in snow and ice resulted in a diesel spillage entering a fishing lake via the motorway drainage system .... www.kentnews.co.uk [January 2010]
Freeze Forces Farmers to Dump Milk The severe weather has disrupted delivery and collections, forcing farmers to dump milk and risk environmental pollution ..... www.news.bbc.co.uk [January 2010]
Sewage Spill Blamed on Cotton Buds
A sewage pollution incident in Antrim has been blamed on cotton buds ..... www.news.bbc.co.uk [January 2010]
Devon Fuel Depot Fined £45k for Petrol Spill A Devon based fuel company were fined £45k following the spillage of 80k litres of petrol contaminated local groundwater ….. www.theengineer.co.uk [January 2010]
Blocked Valve Costs UK Company £70k A faulty valve failure on a road tanker that led to a dangerous petrol spill has cost a fuel storage operator £70k ..... www.healthandsafetyprofessional.co.uk [January 2010]
Sewage Spill Closes Southampton Shellfish Beds Environment Agency has launched an investigation after sewage from a treatment works spilled into the River Itchen ..... www.dailyecho.co.uk [January 2010]
Thieves Cause Major Garage Fuel Spill A gang of thieves attempting to steal thousands of litres of diesel from a garage forecourt caused road chaos and a potential environmental disaster ..... www.sleafordstandard.co.uk [January 2010]
Firewater Contamination Costs UK Company £240k An international waste management company has been fined £240k following a major chemical fire which closed two motorways ….. www.hse.gov.uk [January 2010]
Chemical Spill at Gloucestershire Ribena Factory A fork lift truck driver pierced an 800 litre chemical drum at a Ribena factory in Gloucestershire and triggered a major clean-up operation ..... www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk [January 2010]
Diesel Spill Closes Panto Theatre Panto bosses are counting the cost after a diesel spill forced the to cancel several performances of Peter Pan in Kent ..... www.thisiskent.co.uk [January 2010]
Scottish Water Fined for Damaging Water Quality SEPA have fined Scottish Water £10k following pollution in 2009 ….. www.envirotech-online.com [January 2010]
Users of Adblue Beware! Haulage Industry up in arms over the strict new regulations imposed by the Environment Agency regarding the storage and dispensing of Adblue the catalytic emissions reduction agent............... www.environment-agency.gov.uk [November 2009]
Five year plan begins to re-stock River Trent UK The Environment Agency has begun the gradual re-stocking of the River Trent with fish following recent cyanide and sewage contamination ..... www.burtonmail.co.uk [November 2009]
Polluters beware! Environment Agency calls for tougher penalties
The Environment Agency has called on courts for tougher fines for businesses that pollute in an effort to keep the number of serious incidents down ..... www.mrw.co.uk [December 2009]
M4 motorway closed for 5 hours following hydraulic fluid spill A broken down crane caused chaos to rush hour traffic after spilling hydraulic fluid on the M4 motorway ...... www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk [November 2009]
Environment Agency tackles sediment pollution on major salmon river The Environment Agency, Wiltshire Council and local landowner join forces to improve water quality of major salmon river ..... www.fishnewseu.com [December 2009]
UK Government faces European court for sewage pollution UK Government taken to European Court of Justice for failing to stop thousands of tonnes of raw sewage pouring into the River Thames ..... www.guardian.co.uk [November 2009]
UK polluter fined for red diesel spill caused by thieves A UK man was fined £12,000 after thieves damaged a tanker on his land, causing oil to seep into ditches and damage wildlife ..... www.bymnews.com [November 2009]
Firm ordered to stop discharging effluent According to web4water.com, the Environment Agency served a suspension notice last week to prevent Red Industries of Burslem, Stoke, from pouring any further water into the river after thousands of fish floated to the surface dead. Tests carried out by the agency found cyanide at the sewer discharge point used by the company..... www.web4water.com [October 2009]
Major Fire at Pallet Storage Depot Sparks Investigation........ More than 70 fire fighters are trying to contain a fire that has swept through a pallet yard in Manchester. The flames, which have taken over the building in Lord North Street, Miles.... www.news.bbc.co.uk [October 2009]
WORLD NEWS - Spills / Firewater / Incidents, Prosecutions and Fines
US - Wire Manufacturer Fined $1.5 Million For Wastewater Discharge Investigators determined that the manufacturer of galvanized wire, illegally discharged wastewater with acidic levels from its plant in Irwindale on a routine basis. “Their illegal discharges put the surrounding community at risk by damaging the sewer pipes, potentially impacting public health and the environment.” ... www.watertechonline.com [December 2010]
US - Truck Spills 28 Tons Of Salt Into River A tractor trailer fell down an embankment and landed in the Eagle River, the truck spilled about 28 tons of salt used to make fertilizer into the river ... www.aspentimes.com [December 2010]
World’s Rivers In A ‘Crisis Of Ominous Proportions,’ Study Claims The world’s rivers, the single largest renewable water resource for humans and a crucible of aquatic biodiversity, are in a crisis of ominous proportions, says a recent global analysis.The report in the journal Nature, is the first to simultaneously account for the effects of such things as pollution, dam building, agricultural runoff, the conversion of wetlands and the introduction of exotic species on the health of the world’s rivers. The resulting portrait of the global riverine environment, according to the scientists who conducted the analysis, is grim. It reveals that nearly 80 percent of the world’s human population lives in areas where river waters are highly threatened posing a major threat to human water security and resulting in aquatic environments where thousands of species of plants and animals are at risk of extinction ... www.newsofthenorth.net [December 2010]
US - Concrete Firm Faces $35.5k Per Day Penalty For Water Violations The Concrete company is accused of violating the CWA by discharging stormwater and process water into wetlands and waterways, including the Little River, without the required authorization under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, the release stated. The complaint proposes that they pay a penalty of up to $37,500 per day, per violation ... www.watertechonline.com [December 2010]
HUNGARY - Toxic Waste Spill Victims Protest Residents of Devecser in western Hungary, one of the towns worst hit by a recent toxic industrial waste spill, on Wednesday said they would go ahead with a planned demonstration despite a police order to call it off. 'We have nothing to lose, the red mud took everything we own,' Geza Csenki, organiser of the protest told the state news agency MTI. Devecser was inundated when up to a million cubic metres of caustic slurry poured from the MAL Hungarian Aluminium plant in Ajaka after a wall of a waste reservoir collapsed on October 4 ... www.monstersandcritics.com [December 2010]
NEW ZEALAND - Canterbury Lake Pollution A Concern More lakes have deteriorated in the past five years in Canterbury than in any other region in the country, a Government report shows. There has been a slight "but significant" improvement in lake-water quality across the country, the Ministry for the Environment report, released yesterday, says. Of the 68 lakes with reliable monitoring data between 2005 and 2009, the water quality of 19 had declined, with 15 of those lakes in Canterbury ... www.stuff.co.nz [December 2010]
ISRAEL - $325k Fine For Sea Pollution The sanction was imposed for failure to report on time the dumping or discharge of water or wastewater into the sea (600,000 shekel sanction) and for failing to reduce the quantity of sludge discharged to sea by 15% by means of N-Viro treatment beginning in July 2010 (600,000 shekel sanction). ... www.environment.gov.il [December 2010]
CANADA - Siren Alarm Failures At Chemical Spill
This time, it was no drill. When sirens sounded Wednesday, Nov. 3, following a sulfuric acid spill at a West Hill chemical plant, a warning system set up for area residents and tested many times faced its first real emergency ... www.insidetoronto.com [December 2010]
US - Uncontrolled Medical Drug Discharges into Drinking Water A new effort by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stem mounting water pollution from pharmaceuticals will be ineffective and may make matters worse, according to comments filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). EPA is attempting to stem the disposal of drugs by health facilities into sewers which eventually discharge into freshwater sources ... www.commondreams.org [December 2010]
AUSTRALIA - Acid Spill Sparks Major Emergency Firefighters evacuated multiple businesses and homes after more than 5000 litres of chemicals were spilt at a business in Kingsthorpe. Six fire crews prepared for the worst after a mix of three chemicals, including hydrochloric acid, were spilt ... www.thechronicle.com.au [December 2010]
INDIA - Two More Factories Fined For Pollution The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined two more factories Tk 13.36 lakh for environment pollution in Rupganj of Narayanganj under 'Operation Prevent Environment Crime’ ... www.thedailystar.net [December 2010]
ISRAEL - Ministry Could Not Handle Chemical Spill In Haifa Bay "The Environmental Protection Ministry is ill-prepared to deal with an accident at an industrial plant holding hazardous materials, Minister Gilad Erdan acknowledged yesterday. It is his ministry that is responsible for directives dealing with the storage of hazardous materials, but as ministry professionals have long known, the ministry lacks
the necessary resources to properly monitor handling of dangerous substances. As a result, in the event of a major leak of dangerous substances, the ministry would find it difficult to assess the situation and deal with it" ... www.haaretz.com [December 2010]
ZAMBIA - Water Pollution Affected Most Parts Of Chingola The water pollution that affected most parts of Chingola in northern Zambia after Konkola Copper Mine allowed some effluent to seep into Kafue River has been rectified and water supply restored normally ... www.steelguru.com [December 2010]
Ukraine - Disasters Waiting To Happen The devastation left by the toxic sludge spill in neighbouring Hungary is a stark reminder that Ukraine is home to dozens of potentially larger ecological disasters. The toxic sludge that has killed nine and injured 120 in Hungary and left large-scale environmental damage in its wake has reached the Danube River delta in Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast ... www.sofiaecho.com [November 2010]
US - Tougher Water Pollution Laws On The Way Florida is bracing for the federal government to impose tough new pollution limits on its rivers and lakes. Depending on the point of view, the new rules will clobber an already weak economy — or bring a welcome end to fish kills, algae blooms and contaminated water supplies ... www.orlandosentinel.com [November 2010]
US - Lessons From BP Spill 'Slow To Sink In' Oil industry and government officials could get caught flat-footed again by another deepwater blowout in the coming months because they have yet to incorporate many of the
lessons learned during the BP disaster, experts inside and outside the business tell The Associated Press ... ww.msnbc.msn.com [November 2010]
Australia - 100 Evacuated After Chemical Spill A Queensland Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said the 1000 litre containers of chlorite were leaking potentially dangerous fumes. A 100 metre downwind exclusion zone was also in place ... www.brisbanetimes.com.au [November 2010]
ISRAEL - Water Supplied To Gaza Unfit To Drink Almost 95 percent of the water pumped in the Gaza Strip is polluted and unfit for drinking. This warning was recently issued by the UN Environment Programme, the Palestinian Water Authority, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, and international aid organizations ... www.btselem.org [October 2010]
US - Water Pollution ‘The Shocking Truth About Tap Water’ Water pollution in America is fast becoming a national problem with the municipal treatments unable to cope with the new types of man-made chemicals ... www.watchingtheplanet.org [October 2010]
INDIA - Chemicals Used In Idols Checked Ahead Of Ganesh Utsav
In a bid to check possible poisoning of water bodies by chemicals used in idols, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has issued guidelines to district administrations ahead of Ganesh Utsav ... www.news.indiaid.com [October 2010]
US - BP Oil Spill Volume Estimated From Video US scientists who have analysed videos of the oil gushing from the Deepwater Horizon well say about 4.4 million barrels of crude escaped into the Gulf ... www.bbc.co.uk [October 2010]
US - EPA Ordering Sewer System Upgrade The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is cracking down on Oak Ridge to repair its sewer system by 2015 so it doesn't overflow. The city faces potential fines of up to $10,000 per day for each violation ... www.oakridger.com [October 2010]
SPAIN - Nature Reserve’s Water Polluted With Cocaine And Ecstasy A new study that says water in the canals and irrigation channels in Valencia, Spain's Albufera Natural Park—one of the most important wetlands in Europe—has tested positive for cocaine, ecstasy and six other drugs ... www.takepart.com [October 2010]
US - Yale University Chemical Spill Clogs River n equipment malfunction at a Yale University building caused a flame-suppressing chemical to spill into the Oyster River Tuesday, killing wildlife and bringing environmental cleanup crews to the West Shore area ...
www.nhregister.com [October 2010]
US - Company Owner’s Jail Sentence In High-Profile Pollution case The owner of Hood River Juice has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor pollution counts in a long-running case that also led to the resignation of Attorney General John Kroger's top environmental aide earlier this year ... www.oregonlive.com [October 2010]
US -Military Urged To Boost Bay Clean-Up Efforts State, federal and military officials met to discus how the Pentagon — one of the largest landowners in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, might do more on the region's sprawling bases to control pollution and restore the troubled estuary ... www.articles.baltimoresun.com [October 2010]
US - Tragic Death Of Man Who Prevented A chemical Spill A worker managed to avert a massive chemical spill at his plant, but tragically died from burns which covered 98% of his body … www.tennessean.com [September 2010]
China - Environmental Accidents Increase By 98% In the first six months of this year, environmental accidents have increased by 98%. Nearly a quarter of the country's surface water is now so polluted that it cannot be used even for industrial purposes … www.atimes.com [September 2010]
US - 90% Of Californians Live 10 Miles From Polluted Waterway The State Water Resources Control Board recommended adding 1,328 rivers, streams and lakes to it’s list of polluted waterways ...
www.recordnet.com [September 2010]
China - VP Of Top Gold Producer Detained After Chemical Spill A major chemical contamination in China’s Fujian Province that killed over four million pounds of fish, has led to a mining companies VP being taken into custody … www.english.ntdtv.com [September 2010]
US - BP Faces $11Billion Lawsuit Over Toxic Chemical leak BP has been hit with a $11 billion lawsuit over an alleged leak of toxic chemicals at its Texas City refinery as it struggles to recover from the Gulf oil spill … www.heraldsun.com.au [September 2010]
US / Europe Want Greater Oil Firm Regulation Wide majorities in the United States and Western Europe support greater regulation of oil companies, with concern about the environment rising since the BP oil spill, a poll said … www.google.com [September 2010]
US - 25 Companies Fined $1.6m For River Pollution A country club accused of polluting the Choptank River and a Laurel gravel pit targeted for development are among 25 businesses and individuals fined a total of $1.6 million recently for alleged pollution violations … www.istockanalyst.com [September 2010]
India - Maharashtra Rivers Most Polluted In The Country
Experts are worried that it is not only industrial pollution, which is responsible for degrading the quality of water in state rivers. The rapid urbanisation across the state is a major culprit as well … www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com [September 2010]
US - Beef Company Sues Mine $2m After Chemical Spill A beef cattle company is suing the owners of a mine for nearly $2 million over claims a chemical spill contaminated one of its feedlots … www.news.smh.com.au [September 2010]
US - 3M Will Pay for Decades Old Chemical Water Pollution State officials want 3M to pay for possible damage caused by chemicals that leaked into Washington County groundwater decades ago.Agreement is expected before the end of the year … www.wcco.com [September 2010]
Nigeria - At Least 3000 Oil Spills Since 2006 Nigeria, the eight largest oil exporter, recorded at least 3,000 oil spills between 2006 and last month, the environment minister said … www.google.com [September 2010]
Canada - Toxic Chemical Spill Closes Beach
Kelowna Beach has been closed following toxic chemical spill. Toxic chemical spilled in Kelowna Beach during a fire at an agriculture supply warehouse … www.easydestination.net [September 2010]
Turkey - Istanbul Drinking-Water Source Faces Pollution Threat Istanbul residents are facing concerns about the quality, of the drinking water in the city’s dams following a report of dark, foul-smelling liquids flowing from a pipe into a key reservoir … www.hurriyetdailynews.com [September 2010]
Greece - Athens Chemical Spill Kills 15,000 Fish A chemical spill in an Athens creek last week killed some 15,000 fish, according to state environmental officials … www.onlineathens.com [September 2010]
Africa - Water Crimes Courts To Be Set Up Environmental courts are to be established to address water crimes that threaten an already water-stressed nation, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister announced … www.timeslive.co.za [September 2010]
US - Sugar Company Pollution Costs Them $400k Western Sugar of Denver, has agreed to pay a US$56k civil penalty, and will spend an additional US$350k on plant upgrades to settle allegations that its processing facility had excessively high discharges of fecal coliform bacteria in wastewater … www.environmental-expert.com [September 2010]
Nigeria - Oil Spill May Have Destroyed Biggest Fish Pond In State
Oil spills allegedly oozing from a sunken boat may have destroyed the biggest fish pond in Delta State with an estimated 100 million worth of fish affected as a result of the pollution … www.allafrica.com [September 2010]
US - Three Decades Later Effects Of Spill Linger The chemical spill first discovered at the IBM facility more than 30 years ago continues to have a massive effect on the community the computer giant once helped build … www.pressconnects.com [September 2010]
US - Answers Sought After Chemical Spill Pollutes River State and local authorities are investigating what sort of chemicals spilled into the North Oconee River, which turned greenish-blue and began to give off fumes that irritated eyes and throats … www.onlineathens.com [September 2010]
US - Construction Company Fined $100k For Water Pollution A Black River Falls Construction Co agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a civil environmental prosecution brought by the Wisconsin Department of Justice for water pollution violations … www.lacrossetribune.com [September 2010]
US - Chemical Blaze Causes Firewater Pollution A chemical plant fire raises more concerns about firewater runoff endangering human and animal health as it threatens local creek and river … www.onlineathens.com [September 2010]
US - Watchdog’s Anger Over Small Fines For Sewage Spills
Anne Arundel County's government was responsible for nearly 200,000 gallons of sewage spilling into local streams, creeks and rivers in 2009. For most sewage spills, the county pays a fine of $100 - about the same as a speeding ticket … www.hometownglenburnie.com [September 2010]
US - Cheese Company Fined $315k For Excess Discharge A Washington Cheese manufacturer will pay the United States a $315,000 penalty for excess discharges in violation of its wastewater permit levels … www.media-newswire.com [September 2010]
US - Bucks County Faces hefty Fines For Fish Kills Bucks County is facing fines of more than $62,000 for incidents last autumn that killed thousands of fish in two Central streams … www.phillyburbs.com [September 2010]
US - Chemicals Pollute Groundwater Threatening Drinking Water A massive long-term chemical "spill" that is contaminating the source of drinking water for a heavily populated and possibly widespread mid-Atlantic region is quietly being exposed … www.delmarvanow.com [September 2010]
US - Faulty Pump Causes Diesel Spill A faulty fuel pump at the city's bus terminal refuelling centre caused hundreds of gallons of diesel to spill into a Fayetteville creek …
www.wral.com [September 2010]
Estimated Cost of BP Gulf Spill Estimated At $30 billion Overall the total bill for the disaster is expected to be put at around $30 billion for the cost of capping the well, the clean-up costs and compensation to thousands of people whose livelihoods have been lost ... www.uk.ibtimes.com [August 2010]
US - Oil Companies Start $1 Billion Spill Containment Project Big oil companies including Exxon Mobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell will spend $1 billion to develop a new oil spill containment system ... www.reuters.com [August 2010]
BP Oil Spill Timeline Of Events BP faces a criminal investigation after 11 lives were lost in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. As costs of the clean-up surpass a billion dollars, Channel 4 News runs through the timeline of events that led to the biggest oil slick in US history ... www.channel4.com [August 2010]
US - Diesel Spill Tops 1,100 Gallons
More than 1,147 gallons of diesel spilled into the Bluestone River during the Fourth of July weekend, according to new estimates from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality ... www.bdtonline.com [August 2010]
US - Who’s Making Money From BP Spill? Details of some of the companies making money from cleaning up the BP oil spill ... www.time.com [August 2010]
China - Growing China Oil Spill Threatens Sea Life China's largest reported oil spill, has closed beaches on the Yellow Sea and prompted an environmental official to warn the sticky black crude posed a "severe threat" to sea life and water quality ... www.salon.com [August 2010]
China - Clean-Up Crews Use bare Hands Against Oil Spill The government has mobilised hundreds of fishing boats and other vessels to clean up the spill that occurred in the port city of Dalian, but Greenpeace said many people thrown into the effort were reduced to using their bare hands ... www.google.com [August 2010]
US - Nuclear Company Fined $32,500 Following Chemical Spill The federal agency says the company failed to have adequate instructions for workers on how to neutralize acid spills. The fine follows an April 2008 in Lynchburg when sodium hydroxide was used to neutralize a spill of hydrofluoric acid and caused a violent reaction that resulted in an injury ... www.whsv.com [August 2010]
US - Worries Over Water Contamination By Hydraulic Fracturing Many States in America are embroiled in a controversy regarding the contamination of water due to drilling. Hydraulic fracturing has been cited as the main reason for the worsening of the situation. In this process, the rocks below the surface of the earth are blasted by using a mixture of chemicals, sand and water ... www.topnews.co.uk [August 2010]
US - Birds Eye Agrees To Spend $3.8million Following Contamination Birds Eye Foods Inc. will install a new treatment system and take other steps to deal with groundwater contamination caused by its spraying of wastewater on farm fields in southwestern Michigan ... www.businessweek.com [August 2010]
US Estimates $298 Billion Needed For Water Pollution Control The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a new report that estimates that nationwide capital investment needs for wastewater and stormwater pollution control will be more than $298 billion over the next 20 years ... www.eponline.com [July 2010]
US - Beef Processing Plant Fined $2 Million For Water Pollution Waste from the plant led to about 25,000 fish kills from August 2007 to June 2008. In addition to the $2 million payout, JBS agreed to build a $6 million wastewater treatment plant to monitor water quality near the plant ... www.cattlenetwork.com [July 2010]
China Releases Tough Plan On Drinking-Water Source Protection
The Chinese government has released a plan on the protection of drinking-water sources in urban areas to guarantee the safety of drinking water and protect people's health. The plan comes after an investigation of water quality at 4,002 centralized drinking water sources in 655 cities and towns nationwide ... www.news.xinhuanet.com [July 2010]
US Battery Maker Fined For Pollution Kansas battery maker fined $53,547 for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, by failing to properly monitor and report discharges of industrial wastewater ... www.communitynewspapergroup.com [July 2010]
Switzerland - Chemical Spill Causes Traffic Chaos 1.5 tons of canisters filled with a corrosive and poisonous liquid spilled across two lanes of major road, backing traffic up back to the German border ... www.worldradio.ch [July 2010]
China - Environment Watchdog Sinks Teeth Into Local River Pollution China's environment regulators, long criticized for being weak, started flexing their muscles in late 2006 by making environmental impact assessments compulsory for the approval of new economic projects ... www.china.org.cn [July 2010]
US - Slurry Pollution Mass Litigation Case A mass litigation panel will hear the case of southern West Virginia residents who claim a Massey Energy subsidiary poisoned their drinking water with coal slurry ... www.businessweek.com [July 2010]
NZ - Green Groups Pleased With New Environmental Authority
A new, independent environment agency has been hailed by green groups as a big step towards improving environmental management ... www.nzherald.co.nz [July 2010]
US - Spill Outrage Could Fuel State Anti-pollution Tax The Gulf of Mexico oil disaster has spurred planning by Democratic leaders in Olympia to increase taxes on oil companies to pay for preventing oil spills and toxic runoff in the state’s waters ... www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com [July 2010]
US - Summer Rainfall Boosts Water Pollution Environmental activists and officials say beach-water quality in general depends on the weather, with rainfall boosting pollution from runoff ... www.dailyrecord.com [July 2010]
US - Chemical Company Fined For Spills And Poor Storage The company’s hazardous waste facility in Framingham has come under fire recently by residents who accuse executives of ignoring their concerns about spills that contaminated the southside neighborhood’s ground water ... www.boston.com[July 2010]
US - Packing Company Fined For Lack Of Spill Preparation 98K $ fine for company not supplying right clothing and spill training to employees … www.wausaudailyherald.com [June 2010]
NZ - Water Industry Needs Regulation To Flourish “New Zealand lacks an overall national water regulator setting the rules and providing a sound framework for the entire sector across the country” ... www.nzherald.co.nz [June 2010]
US - Chemical Spill Investigated At New York’s JFK Airport The Fire Department of New York said hazmat crews were on scene to investigate the chemical spill … www.wireupdate.com [June 2010]
Taiwan - Plastics Co May Face Criminal Probe Over Water Pollution Plastics Company may be fined as much as NT$150 million (US$4.7 million) if it had failed to stop the spread of the contamination ... www.chinapost.com.tw [June 2010]
US - Climate Bill Could Leave Communities High And Dry Water and wastewater utilities across the country are echoing this message that we cannot address climate change without strong water adaptation measures ... www.americanrivers.org [June 2010]
US - Storm Water A Major Source Of Pollution Biggest source of water pollution in the US is storm water runoff ... www.seattletimes.com [May 2010]
US - Feds Fine Home Company US$ 1 million For Stormwater Homebuilder company must pay $1 million fine and improve its stormwater controls at construction sites as a result of a consent decree signed this week with federal environmental officials ... www.hometownannapolis.com [May 2010]
Taiwan - Company Could Face Record Pollution Fine The(EPA) asked the Court to fine Plastics Group for serious pollution of soil and underground water ... www.focustaiwan.tw [May 2010]
Canada - US$ 2.5 million Spill Clean-Up Bill Canadian taxpayers may have to pick-up the $2.5M clean-up bill following a diesel spill ... www.metronews.ca [May 2010]
US - Storm Water Source Of Chemical Pollution State pollution officials have solved a four-year-old mystery about the source of fish contamination in Lake Calhoun ... www.startribune.com [May 2010]
China - Another Massive Spill Threatens Yellow River 1000 tonnes of Oil Sludge polluted a tributary of China’s Yellow River ... www.chinapost.com [May 2010]
US - Louisville Company Fined US$102k For Chemical Spill
A Chemical spill which entered the sewer system has cost a plant resin company US$102k ... www.wfpl.org [May 2010] US - Residents Seek US$1.5 mil Plus for Oil Pollution Baltimore residents are asking for at least US$1.5 mil against an oil company following leak that got into groundwater ... www.articles.baltimoresun.com [May 2010]
Vietnam - Pollution Plagues River The polluted water of the Dong Nai River is affecting the lives of millions of people in HCM City ... www.vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn [May 2010]
US - Vodka Company Pleads No Contest In Pollution Case Vodka company was ordered to pay a $63k fine, after it illegally drained production waste into a local creek ... www.statesman.com [May 2010]
Canada - Fifth Spill From Dormant Pulp Mill Diluted chemicals have once again found their way into Lake Superior from a dormant pulp mill ... www.foresttalk.com [May 2010]
Faulty Filter Could Cost US School US$1mil To Clean-Up An oil spill at a US school caused by a faulty valve could lead to a clean-up bill of over US$ 1million ... www.norwichbulletin.com[April 2010]
US Church Facing US$50k Clean-Up Bill For Spill Presbyterian Church estimate soil contamination clean-up costs at $50k following ‘pin prick sized’ basement oil tank leak ... www.journalpioneer.com [April 2010]
India - Heavy Fines Warning For Water Polluters Failure to install treatment plants in their respective industries will be met by large fines said Sindh Minster of Environement ... www.tradingmarkets.com [April 2010]
Water Pollution Biggest Eco Problem Water pollution tops the list of global eco concerns in a 15 country survey ... www.earth911.com [April 2010]
US Company Pays $588k In Environmental Compensation An oil spill which fouled 21 miles of a US river in 2004 led to US$588k compensation bill for environmental damage ... www.news.bostonherald.com [April 2010]
US - You Spill It - You Pay For It ! New Town ordinance holds individuals responsible for haz-mat and clean up costs ... www.eastbayri.com [April 2010]
Coca Cola Face Huge Compensation Claim
India - Committee Coca Cola “responsible for damages” “obligatory that they pay the compensation to the affected people for the agricultural losses, health problems, loss of wages, loss of educational opportunities and the pollution caused to the water resources” ... www.beta.thehindu.com [April 2010]
Electrical “Glitch” Causes Diesel Spill At US Hospital An electrical glitch left an estimated 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled in a Memorial Hospital basement ... www2.hickoryrecord.com [April 2010]
US Oil Company Pays Huge Daily Price For Environmental Pollution Chevron spent $2.43 million a day last year on equipment and repairs required to comply with US environmental limits on air and water pollution .... www.businessweek.com [April 2010]
100,000 Gallon Diesel Spill In US Massive diesel fuel spill at US refinery, requires multi agency clean-up operation ... www.indianasnewscenter.com [April 2010]
Prozac And Drugs In Tap Water US study found ‘traces of drugs in drinking water in 24 major US regions’ ... www.beforeitsnews.com [April 2010]
EU Commission Holds Onto Soil Protection Law EU Environment Commissioner defended an EU directive on soil by claiming that national policies are not delivering and land management increasingly affects cross-border issues like water pollution ...
www.euractiv.com [April 2010]
US Tanker Truck Spills 9,000 Litres Of Fuel USA - A tanker truck overturned spilling thousands of litres of diesel fuel along the side of the Highway ... www.nnsl.com [April 2010]
River Ganga Pollution May Cost 50,000 Jobs India’s pollution control board threatens to shut down all tanneries found responsible for polluting the Ganges ... www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com [April 2010]
Spill Costs US Asphalt Company $568k Plus Connecticut Asphalt company fined $68,400 for violations of oil pollution regulations in addition to a $500k clean-up bill ... www.yosemite.epa.gov [February 2010]
US Environmental Fines and Prosecutions Round-up of US Environmental law decisions, lawsuits, regulatory actions and settlements in 2009 ... www.taberlaw.com [February 2010]
Chevron Fined For Chemical Spill Chevron given $5k per day violation notice in San Juan chemical spill ... www.ocregister.com [February 2010]
America's Biggest Environmental Disaster Clean-up options and cost still being considered a year after toxic sludge spill at US power plant ... www.edie.net [February 2010]
After 25 years poisoned Water Still Haunts Bhopal Groundwater is still contaminated twenty five years after a toxic spill from a pesticide factory killed thousands in Bhopal, India ..... www.nytimes.com [January 2010]
Gold Giant Accused of Land and Water Pollution Gold giant accused of ‘poisoning people and livestock by contaminating Honduras Siria Valley ..... www.guardian.co.uk [January 2010]
China’s Yellow River Polluted by Diesel One hundred and fifty thousand litres of diesel has contaminated China’s Yellow River and effected drinking water for millions..... www.news.xinhuanet.com
[January 2010]
Polluter Pays Principle is a Global Issue The Bangladesh Government embraces the Polluter Pays Principle ..... www.thedailystar.net [January 2010]
School Contaminated by Oil during Holiday Break
Hundreds of gallons of oil contaminate a school during holiday break via drain that lead to building’s septic tank .... www.wfsb.com [January 2010]
US Environment Watchdog tightens Spill Pollution rules America's Environmental Watchdog has finalised rule changes intended to stop industrial oil spills from polluting the nations waterways ..... www.edie.net [November 2009]
Unprecedented contamination in Bangladesh threatens millions Man-made ponds may be responsible for exposing 25 million people in Bangladesh to arsenic through widespread groundwater contamination ..... www.news.bbc.co.uk [November 2009]