22/03/2005 - Grossly polluting
sugar syrup (molasses) escaped from a depot
into a stream, which took several months to
show signs of recovery. The level of pollution
was about 10 times higher than crude sewage.
Staff working for The Potter Group at its
site in Queen Adelaide Way, Ely, Cambridgeshire
were unaware of the polluting effect of the
sugar on wildlife and had hosed down the spilt
molasses instead of calling the Environment
Agency straight away for advice.
Ely magistrates fined the company £7,500
today (Tues) and ordered them to pay costs
of £1,625 to the Agency after they pleaded
guilty to breaching the Water Resources Act
of 1991.
The molasses were being stored at the warehouse
and distribution centre in January last year
when there was a leak and the liquid flowed
into a drainage system on site.
That in turn drained into a stream flowing
alongside a railway line within the site and
then through a sluice-like structure out to
Ely Road in Queen Adelaide.
Staff had turned off a valve at the sluice
before hosing down the site but the closed
valve did not contain the water and molasses,
and it overflowed into the stream turning
it brown and foamy.
The Environment Agency was not called for
two days after the initial spillage and their
advice was to dispose of the contaminated
water in one of several different ways.
Nine days later there was evidence that molasses
was still getting into the stream polluting
it for 400 metres.
Mr Curtis Heatwole, a representative of The
Potter Group said in interview that they did
not call the Environment Agency because they
thought they had it under control and was
not aware that molasses caused pollution.
Following the investigation, the company
took regular samples from the stream as part
of the clean-up and employed a specialist
waste contractor to remove the contaminated
water.
Their procedure on hazardous material spillages
was updated to include spillages that are
harmful to the environment as well as to humans.
The Potter Group pleaded guilty to: On or
about 11 January 2004 you did cause poisonous,
noxious or polluting matter, namely molasses,
to enter controlled waters, namely an unnamed
tributary of the River Great Ouse near Queen
Adelaide, Ely in the County of Cambridgeshire,
contrary to s85(1) Water Resources act 1991.
Following the hearing environment officer
John Harrison said: ‘Business must be more
aware of the potential for the materials they
handle or use to cause harm to the environment.
It is their responsibility to follow environmental
regulations and pollution prevention best
practices.’
