International civil engineering company, Bam Nuttall, has paid £3,000 to the Ogmore Angling Association (OAA) to compensate them for damage to their fishing suffered as a result of the pollution of the River Llynfi during land reclamation works at the Maesteg Washery site, near Bridgend, in 2005.
The company committed a number of pollution offences in relation to the Maesteg Washery Restoration Scheme. Fish Legal followed up the prosecution with a civil claim on behalf of its member club, the OAA.
During the works, pollution was noted some 17km away from the Maesteg site, on both the rivers Llynfi and Ogmore.
Guy Linley-Adams, Solicitor at Fish Legal said: “Environment Agency advice to control sediment-laden run-off by installing settlement lagoons at the site was ignored. Despite numerous visits from the Agency and the issue of a formal warning letter the company failed to take appropriate action to prevent streams of thick, grey sludge entering the River Llynfi”.
He added: “Ironically, this particular scheme was a demonstration project under a government initiative – Movement in Innovation – to promote best practice and improve standards across the construction industry.
We can only hope that by Fish Legal bringing this civil action regard for nearby watercourses will be pushed up the agenda across the whole construction industry sector”.
Other pollution incidents currently being investigated by Fish Legal on the Ogmore catchment include intermittent diesel pollution from the Brynmenyn Industrial Estate into the Ewenny and sewage pollution into a spawning stream, the Nant Crymlyn. Earlier this year, Fish Legal negotiated another payment for the Ogmore AA after a separate construction firm allowed limestone fines to wash into the Ogmore during the reinstating of a river wall.
