The Environment Agency is appealing for witnesses after a serious pollution incident contaminated water plants and the Blakedown Brook in  picturesque Broadwaters Park.

At 08.30 this morning (Tuesday 8 May 2007) Environment Agency officers were called to the Kidderminster park by a member of the public, who had called our free Emergency Hotline (0800 807060) and reported seeing oil moving down the Blakedown Brook.

Upon arrival, we found a thick black slick of what appeared to be waste engine oil coating about 200 metres of the brook. After first deploying some emergency booms (barriers) and oil absorbent pads, we called out emergency specialist contractors to start to clear up.

Amy Currie, the Environment Agency Officer in charge of managing the incident, said “We have yet to find the source of the oil but we suspect that someone has tipped old engine oil down a drain. We will be following this up to try and trace the source.

“This was a serious incident; it only takes a small amount of oil to cause a lot of damage. We suspect that up to 45 gallons of oil is involved in this incident so the damage has been considerable.

“Thanks to the swift action of a member of the public and our fast response, the oil has been largely contained in the Broadwater Park area and has been prevented from reaching the nearby River Stour.

“It is vital that businesses and the public dispose of waste engine oil responsibly. Members of the public can take their waste engine oil to oil banks at either Bonemill or Hoobrook household waste sites.”

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