11/04/2006 - An international
communications company based in Swindon was ordered
to pay more than £29,500 by Swindon Magistrates
Court yesterday after polluting a 14km stretch
of three rivers with up to 8 tonnes of red diesel
– killing more than 2,000 fish and some birds.
Cable and Wireless Plc, of the Windmill Hill Industrial
Estate, Swindon, pleaded guilty to polluting the
Westlea Brook, the River Ray and the River Thames
on 23 January 2005, contrary to Section 85(1)
of the Water Resources Act 1991.
Magistrates fined the company £20,000 and
ordered it to pay £9,562.40 in costs.
More than 2,000 stickleback fish died in the Westlea
Brook following the incident, as well as a swan,
three kingfishers and two moorhens. The true impact
on birdlife is difficult to estimate as some may
have left the area as a result of the incident.
Other birds suffered chemical burns and had their
feathers coated in oil.
The diesel killed all of the insect life and most
of the fish in the Westlea Brook downstream from
the discharge point. The River Ray was also effected
with insect life described as being slow moving
or moribund. Otters and water voles have struggled
to make a comeback in the River Ray catchment
and the Environment Agency are concerned that
they will have been adversley effected by this
oil spill.
The Environment Agency received numerous reports
from members of the public on 23 January that
red diesel was spilling into the Westlea Brook
and the River Ray, in Swindon. These prompt reports
enabled the Environment Agency to attend the incident
quickly thus reducing the potential impact on
the River Ray.
Environment Agency officer who attended the site
and found that red diesel was coming from a surface
water culvert close to Stoney Beck Close, Westlea
where there was a strong smell of diesel in the
air. The officer said that the Westlea Brook ‘looked
like a river of diesel’.
Environment Agency officers installed oil booms
to stop oil spreading further. With the help of
Thames Water they began tracing the source of
the pollution through almost 2km of underground
water pipes back to the Windmill Hill Industrial
Estate.
Officers inspecting the industrial estate soon
identified the source of the diesel at the Cable
and Wireless site, Windmill Hill Industrial Estate.
Near to the company’s Energy Centre, there was
a strong smell of diesel and they saw oil stains
on pipes in the concrete yard which drained away
to a surface water gully next to them.
The company explained it had more than half a
million litres of red diesel on site. The diesel
is used to run 16 generators that perform various
functions to provide back up power to the web-hosting
equipment.
The company said that a valve and pump failure
had caused the fuel dump tank to overflow through
the vent pipes and then into a surface water drain
which leads directly into the Westlea Brook.
Samples taken by Environment Agency officers on
24 January clearly link the diesel found in the
surface water drain on the Cable and Wireless
site to the diesel found along the Westlea Brook
and the River Ray.
Cable and Wireless instructed clean up crews to
deal with the diesel, with the total cost of the
clean up reaching £180,000. But despite
this action, the incident still severely affected
three rivers with adverse impacts to wildlife
and on the recreational use of the watercourses
for several months.
Robert Iles, Environment Officer with the Environment
Agency, said: “Companies who keep oil on their
premises, particularly in large quantities such
as this, have a duty to ensure that a full environmental
risk assessment is carried out. A detailed management
system should be in place to safeguard the environment
against the effects of any spillage”.
“The identification of possible off-site impacts
is a key part of such a plan. This company failed
to carry out an adequate environmental risk assessment”.
“There was also no alarm system or routine checks
which may have alerted the company to the problem.
As a result of this incident the company has now
taken steps to ensure these controls are in place.”
“This incident had a devastating impact along
the Westlea Brook, the River Ray and the River
Thames. It has resulted in damage to a valuable
urban wildlife corridor with the loss of thousands
of insects and fish, which will take some time
to return. Effected birds such as the Kingfisher
may take longer to re-establish their territories.
“We are pleased that the court has reflected the
impact the pollution had in imposing the maximum
possible fine of £20,000 at Swindon Magistrates
Court.”
Mr Flemming Chair of the Magistrates bench said:
“Environmental issues are of great concern to
all of us. Industry and large companies such as
Cable and Wireless should lead the field in environmental
standards and set an example.”
Members of the public should report environmental
incidents to the Environment Agency by calling
0800 80 70 60.
