A chemical company has been fined £8000 and ordered to pay full costs of £6048 for polluting a tributary of the River Thet at Attleborough.
Albion Chemical Ltd (part of the Albion Chemicals Group), operates a warehousing and distribution centre from its site at Station Rd, Attleborough.
In early October 2005, a member of the public reported a possible contaminated stream, a tributary of the River Thet, at Station Road. Environment Agency officers went to investigate and found that the bed of the stream was coated with a red/orange substance. The officers followed the watercourse upstream until they reached the Albion Chemicals site. At the site they found a discharge pipe running into the stream, with the inside of the pipe and concrete around it stained a red/ orange colour.
The company was advised that it needed to investigate its drainage system and take steps to prevent polluting liquid entering the watercourse.
An Environment Agency officer visited the site again in December. The officer noted that the stream in Station Road was discoloured with an orange sediment covering the stream bed. He traced the source of the pollution upstream and again found it came from the Albion Chemicals site. The contamination appeared to start at the same point as previously.
Biological surveys of the stream were carried out in both October and December. They found that approximately 500m of the stream were affected by the pollution, resulting in far fewer fish and types of invertebrate than would normally be found in healthy water.
The Environment Agency’s investigating officer, John Harrison, commented, “This pollution incident happened because the site was not designed with sufficient containment features, which meant chemicals could enter the part of drainage system designed purely to take rainwater way from the site.’
‘It is important companies check their sites to ensure their drainage systems operate correctly to avoid polluting their environment. Not doing so can result, as in this case, with a fine and damage to their local area.”
Albion Chemicals Ltd pleaded guilty to:
On or about 14 December 2005 you did cause poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters, namely a tributary of the River Thet at Station Road, Attleborough, Norfolk.
Contrary to section 85(1) and section 85(6) Water Resources Act 1991.
The company also asked for the following offence to be taken into consideration:
On or about 12 October 2005 you did cause poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters, namely a tributary of the River Thet at Station Road, Attleborough, Norfolk.
Contrary to section 85(1) and section 85(6) Water Resources Act 1991
