ENVIRONMENT AGENCY NEWS RELEASE


Yorkshire Water was fined £6,500 at York Magistrates’ Court today (22nd February, 2008) for a breach of consent at Naburn Sewage Treatment Works on the River Ouse.

The water utility company, which pleaded guilty to one charge, was also ordered to pay full costs of £835.60 to the Environment Agency which brought the case.

The company was fined for exceeding levels of ammoniacal nitrogen, which comes from the discharge of sewage effluent. High levels of this chemical can adversely affect the quality of water.

Mr Cooper told the court how Yorkshire Water have a consent from the Environment Agency to discharge treated sewage effluent from the Naburn Sewage Treatment Works at Naburn Lane, Fulford into the River Ouse.

Environment Agency officers do routine tests to ensure no limits are being breached at the site. One of the tests is to measure the amount of ammoniacal nitrogen in the sewage effluent. This is produced by the breakdown of organic material and can be toxic to fish.

The maximum amount of ammoniacal nitrogen allowed is 6 milligrams per litre. There are 24 samples taken each year and Yorkshire Water are permitted to breach the ammoniacal nitrogen limit on no more than three occasions in that year.

However, Yorkshire Water breached this level four times between 5th December 2005 and 7th March 2006.

Yorkshire Water attended interview under caution on 8th May 2006, where they admitted the offence.

The court were reminded of an earlier conviction made against Yorkshire Water for an identical offence on 9th April 2003, to which they pleaded guilty at York Magistrates’ Court on 21st October 2004. They were fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs.

In mitigation, Yorkshire Water co-operated with the Environment Agency throughout the investigations and entered an early guilty plea.

The magistrates accepted that there was no evidence of long term damage to the River Ouse and said they did not believe that Yorkshire Water committed the offence deliberately or recklessly. They also welcomed Yorkshire Water’s plans for capital investment at Naburn.

They noted Yorkshire Water’s previous conviction but were happy with how the company responded to the problems.

Speaking after the case, Tessa Brooks, environment officer at the Environment Agency said: “It is disappointing that this is the second time where legal action has been brought against Yorkshire Water, however we are pleased that they are now building a new treatment plant which we hope will protect the environment in the future.”

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