Head Office Press Office
- 30-Jul-2007 - Householders, businesses and
farmers have been warned today (Monday) to
be as aware of the actions to take in dealing
with the aftermath of flooding, as they should
be in preparing for flooding.
The warning comes as the Environment Agency
issues guidance to help householders, businesses
and farmers dealing with the aftermath of
last week's flooding incidents.
Barbara Young, Chief Executive at the Environment
Agency, said: "A flood in your property
is a worrying and often frightening experience.
When the floodwater has gone there is the
additional distress of cleaning and repairing
the damage it caused.
"Our teams have been working hard on
the ground before and during the unprecedented
level of flooding which affecting the Midlands
and Thames regions. Our operations have now
switched to focus on the recovery and clean
up.
"We are now working with other organisations
involved in the clean up operation to ensure
householders, businesses and farmers are helped
through this difficult time. We have produced
a series of short guides providing basic advice
on what actions you need to take. Once prepared
with information, you can start to take control
of your immediate situation. Having a plan
will help you deal more effectively with the
recovery period and get things back to normal."
The Environment Agency is working closely
with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and
other parts of Government to ensure that the
health risks posed after flooding are identified,
action is taken and guidance given to ensure
public health is protected. The HPA website,
www.hpa.gov.uk/flooding, has relevant information
and advice on health concerns.
Barbara Young continued: "We expect
to see a significant increase in the amount
of waste needing to be disposed of as a result
of severe flooding. There is also likely to
be disruption to normal waste collection and
disposal arrangements.
"If your property has been affected
by flooding you should talk to your insurance
company before arranging for clearance and
the Association of British Insurers website
has helpful advice. You should check out the
advice being given by the Health Protection
Agency on how to protect yourself during any
clean-up.
"Also it's important to make sure that
all the waste from flooding is disposed of
properly. Don't let illegal waste carriers
cash in on your misfortune. As well as making
the current flooding problems worse, fly-tipping
can also lead to longer-term environment damage
in your local area. It also takes away business
from the legitimate waste companies who operate
to strict environmental standards. Combating
illegal fly-tipping is a high priority for
the Environment Agency so you can find registered
carriers by visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publicregisters."
Advice for householders
Do not re-occupy your home until any mud
has been removed, it has been cleaned and
disinfected, and dried out.
Your local authority will be able to advise
on the services that they can provide to dispose
of waste like damaged furniture.
Do not reconnect the mains electricity until
the system has been thoroughly examined by
a qualified electrician. Check sockets, switches
and appliances before use. Even if it is then
considered safe to use electrical equipment
in the cleaning process, make sure you use
a circuit breaker for additional protection.
Advice for businesses
Some waste generated as a result of flooding
may need a specialist contractor, the Environmental
Services Association can help you find one.
If you have problems with a particular type
of waste, contact us on 08708 506 506. We
are preparing specific advice for particular
waste streams. One company's waste could be
another’s resource.
Check out NetRegs for guidance for small businesses
on how to deal with waste legally and safely
at www.netregs.gov.uk.
Advice for farmers
Waste milk should normally be disposed of
by diluting at least 1:1 with slurry or water
and spreading on land in accordance with regulations.
Given the current situation with land flooded
or water logged this may not be possible,
so milk can be stored in suitable temporary
storage or added to slurry lagoons assuming
they have adequate available capacity.
In some cases farmers may have been unable
to spread manure and slurry as they would
usually do (e.g. after 1st cut silage) and
slurry and manure stores may be full. Additional
storage lagoons may be constructed provided
they meet basic Environment Agency requirements
on siting, lining, and construction, to avoid
any immediate risks to water. Contact us if
you need to do this.
Barbara Young added: "The Environment
Agency has a responsibility to protect human
health and our environment. Equally we want
to help make sure the recovery operations
from these events are done as swiftly and
safely as possible."
For the Environment Agency advice on dealing
with the after flood situation visit our Flood
section on the website or call us on 08708
506 506.
+ More
Environment Agency continues with preparations
for possible severe weather over the weekend
Head Office Press Office - 27-Jul-2007 -
The Environment Agency is still on full alert
following the Met Office severe weather warning
for the weekend and is urging people to continue
checking their flood watch status.
The Met Office has forecast a period of persistent
rain for South Wales late on Saturday 28th
July, spreading eastwards across central and
southern parts of England during Sunday morning
29th July. The rain will be locally heavy
with up to 30mm in places, but hills exposed
to the southwest could see 40mm of rain. The
rain is expected to last for 6-9 hours at
any one location before clearing away eastwards.
"The Met Office will continue to work
to refine the detail of the weather including
both its intensity and location, so though
people should not be unnecessarily alarmed
they should remain vigilant. However, with
rivers high and land currently saturated there
is the risk that any further heavy rainfall
will run off the ground and go straight into
the rivers. As a result, we could see the
levels in watercourses responding very quickly,
so we urge people to be aware and prepared
as the unsettled period of weather is set
to continue. There is also the possibility
of flash flooding caused by surface water,"
Director of Operations, Paul Leinster said.
"Our national incident response is still
operating and will continue to do so and we
are continuing our normal preparations for
possible flooding, and urge the public to
do the same by checking any flood warnings
through our website or Floodline, and through
the media."
The Environment Agency is carrying out the
following preparatory work :
Clearing grills screens and blockages where
it is safe to do so water can flow
Lowering water levels behind weirs and other
water level structures where it is safe and
possible
Checking sand bag and pump availability and
performance along with other equipment
Checking and maintaining river and rain gauges
Checking weather radar links and continuing
to liaise with the Met Office
Checking our river computer models to gauge
the likely impact of rain
Ensuring we have staff rostered to man national
and regional incident rooms, provide flood
warnings and provide field response as required
Continuing active liaison and coordination
with our partners in emergency services and
local government.
To find out if you are at risk from flooding
please call Floodline 0845 988 1188 or visit
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/floodline.
