Panorama
 
 
 
 
 

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY DIVERSITY STATEMENT


Environmental Panorama
International
May of 2008


‘To fulfil our vision of a better environment for present and future generations, we will develop an Agency where all employees are actively supported in giving their best contribution to the Agency's aims and objectives. This means attracting people from all parts of the community, valuing the differing skills and abilities of all our employees and responding flexibly to the needs of individuals in achieving organisational goals.’

Environmental offences cost Hampshire landfill site owners over £7000

Lucy Harding - 9-May-2008 - The Environment Agency has prosecuted the owners of a Hampshire landfill site after the company twice committed an error.

Veolia Environmental Services (Hampshire), who operate the Efford Landfill Site at Milton Road, Pennington pleaded guilty to both offences at Lyndhurst Magistrates Court on Wednesday 7 May. The company was fined a total of £5000 and ordered to pay costs of £2150.

Veolia Environmental Services (Hampshire) has a consent to discharge trade effluent, which includes site drainage, from the landfill site into the Keyhaven Marshes. The conditions of the agreement ensure that the natural environment of the conservation area is protected and there is no negative impact on the marshes.

At the time of the offences, the consent required the company to meet a level of no more than 10 milligrams per litre of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and 60 milligrams per litre (mg/l) of suspended solids . BOD is the measure of the amount of oxygen taken up by bacteria entering a watercourse. At high levels it can strip the river of oxygen and aquatic life can suffocate. Suspended solids can interfere with fish gills and blanket the bottom of a stream.

On 17 January 2007, an Environment Agency officer took a routine sample at the landfill site and it showed that the suspended solids level was 121mg/l, over twice the agreed consent. The company had also taken their own sample on that day and this gave a reading of 127mg/l.

A further sample was taken on 27 February 2007 and this time the results showed that the BOD level was 20.1mg/l or again twice the consent.

Environment Officer Emma Hartwell said: “These two incidents could have caused damage to the Keyhaven Marshes where the water is discharged. The marshes are a very sensitive habitat and have several environmental designations. The company had taken its own samples and so were clearly aware that the water they discharged was double the permitted level, but they failed to take any action.

“This result sends out a clear message that large companies such as Veolia have a responsibility to ensure that their operations do not have an adverse impact the local environment, and that the Environment Agency will not take breaches of this nature lightly.”
Ends

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Environment Agency warns - play safe and don't dive in to hidden dangers

Catherine Burbage - 12-May-2008 - The current sunny spell makes jumping into cooling water very inviting but the Environment Agency is warning that it can result in serious injuries, and even death. There are often hidden structures such as submerged concrete parapets or objects like shopping trolleys and stolen bicycles waiting to trap the unwary.

Environment Agency Waterways Manager Irven Forbes stresses the following message: “We don’t want to sound like killjoys but this is a very important safety message. The cost of a quick dip could be a very high price to pay – don’t swim in rivers, lakes or canals. Be safe and have fun by using your local swimming pool or designated swimming areas.”

“We’re also having a particular problem at the moment with people vandalising lock and sluice gates and mechanisms. If we do get very heavy rain as we did last summer, this could result in people suffering the misery of flooding because we can’t close gates or operate them as we should do.”

Vandalising lock gates and mechanisms is a criminal offence and could result in a court appearance and fine. It is a criminal offence to damage or interfere with any structure on a recreational waterway. In addition it is an offence to bathe or swim within 36 metres upstream or downstream of a lock or in any lock pen or to dive or jump into a recreational waterway from a lock.

Locks are busy with narrow boats and cruisers at the moment and it’s very difficult for them to see heads bobbing in the water so swimmers could easily be run-down. You cannot judge the depth of water just by looking at it and there are currents you cannot see. Underwater machinery starts up without warning.

Because the water in rivers, lakes and streams is untreated it can harbour the leptospirosis virus, spread by rat urine, which enters the body through cuts, grazes or the mouth lining causing Weil’s Disease and unless treated in the early stages could be fatal. It causes aches and pains, similar to ’flu, a couple of weeks after infection.

Most people who drown in rivers can swim, but die because of the shock of cold water temporarily paralysing them. You might think the warm weather will raise river temperatures so the shock from cold water isn’t a risk, but the water temperature doesn’t rise a great deal because it is flowing and constantly fed by underground sources.

High air temperatures such as those predicted also mean the differential between the air and water can be greater than normal.

Hidden dangers can cause broken legs and other injuries or trap or entangle a swimmer dragging them under the water.

Even playing in a group may not protect children, as they often confuse thrashing about in the water or disappearing under it as a game until it’s too late.

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Pollution-hit river re-stocked with fish

Mike Dunning - 12-May-2008 - The Environment Agency has teamed up with a Hampshire trout fishery to re-stock a section of the River Stour in Dorset after the local fish population was virtually wiped out by pollution.

An estimated 15,000 fish died on the Stour and two of its tributaries last summer following a pollution spill. Despite a full investigation, the source was never traced, but it is believed to have come from a farm. The fish casualties included roach, chub, perch and pike.

Now, thanks to the support of the Rockbourne Trout Fishery and local anglers, the Agency has released some 10,000 roach into the Stour and Lydden to help the local fish population recover.

The roach were removed from two lakes at Rockbourne by Agency officers using nets. The fish were surplus to requirements as the fishery is primarily concerned with trout and was therefore willing to donate them to the restocking of the upper Stour.

The Agency was also helped by members of Sturminster Hinton Angling Club who suggested the best locations to release the fish. Members have agreed to report their catch figures to the Agency to help it monitor local fish numbers.

‘This stocking is a terrific boost for the Stour and two of its tributaries that bore the brunt of last summer’s pollution. We are particularly grateful to Rockbourne Trout Fishery for their support and generous donation of the fish. said Andy Martin for the Environment Agency.

‘This latest introduction supports our ongoing programme of re-stocking on the Stour and other local rivers. In the past we have introduced bream, chub and roach reared at the Environment Agency’s Calverton Fish Farm,’ he added.

One person badly affected by last August’s pollution was Chris Bailey who owns Bagber Bridge fishery on the River Lydden, ‘The pollution virtually wiped out my fishery. I am very grateful to the Environment Agency for taking this care of the river and for helping by re-stocking. The number of fish greatly exceeded my expectations,’ he said.

 
 

Source: Environment Agency – United Kingdom
Press consultantship
All rights reserved

 
 
 
 

 

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