The Environment Agency
is investigating an outbreak of grey fungus
in the River Crane - The Environment Agency
is investigating an outbreak of grey fungus
in the River Crane, along with an unusual
smell, after receiving a number of reports
from members of the public in North Feltham
and Twickenham.
Environment Agency officers
have been out investigating the cause of
the fungus and have taken a number of samples
and water quality readings from the river.
Officers have identified the outbreak as
a grey fungus, which grows on the river
bed when the right nutrients are there to
feed it.
Colonies of grey fungus
in watercourses are associated with discharges
of organic matter rather than substances
that are harmful or toxic to people. When
conditions are right, the grey fungus grows
and covers the river bed like a blanket
affecting the organisms that live in and
around the water. Biodiversity teams are
also investigating the impact this is having
on wildlife in the area.
Sarah Mills, environment
management team leader said “We would like
to assure the local community that we are
doing a thorough investigation into what
is causing this and taking every action
to confirm the source of the problem. If
you come into contact with the river water
you should wash your hands and be sure not
to put them in your mouth.
“The reports we have received from the local
community have been very valuable in assisting
us with our investigations so far. Due to
the extent of the coverage of the grey fungus
we know we are looking for a prolonged and
sustained source of nutrient release into
the river. Once we have confirmation of
our sample results, we are confident that
we will be able to identify the source which
is causing the grey fungus to grow and stop
it.
“The public are our
eyes and ears and provide us with vital
information. If you have any further information
about this problem, or ever see anything
that you think is harming the environment,
please call our incident hotline on 0800
807060 (Freephone, 24 hour).
Environment Agency statement: Court of Appeal
decision on Thames Water fine appeal
Commenting on the Court of Appeal’s decision
earlier today to reduce the fine imposed
on Thames Water from £125,000 to £50,000,
Dr Paul Leinster, Environment Agency Chief
Executive, said:
“We are disappointed
that the Court of Appeal reduced the level
of the fine. The pollution caused by Thames
Water in 2007 spread for nearly 5 km of
the River Wandle, and had a catastrophic
impact on the local wildlife. This incident
saw 20 years of careful river restoration
work decimated in a matter of hours.
“In serious pollution
incidents such as this, we would still like
to see higher fines in addition to any action
taken by the offending company, to provide
a stronger deterrent to polluters. There
are still an average of two serious pollution
incidents a day and this is two too many.
Of these water companies are responsible
for more than one serious pollution incident
a week.
"But we welcome the incentive this
decision creates for polluters to put right
the damage they cause, quickly and voluntarily.
The Court recognised that ‘the failures
in this case make the offence an extremely
serious one of its type’. As a result, the
Court considered that a fine of £250,000
to £300,000 would have been appropriate,
as well as an order for compensation.
“The main reason the
Court decided to reduce the fine so significantly
today was because of the steps Thames Water
took to put right the environmental damage
they had caused. The court took into account
Thames Water's ‘unprecedented payment and
pledge of the total sum of £500,000’
for local restoration and environmental
improvement projects.
“New civil sanctions powers which we expect
to receive in the next few months will also
give us a more flexible toolkit to require
businesses that cause pollution to pay for
the cost of repairing the damage.”
ENDS
Media enquiries: 020 7863 8710. Outside
normal office hours, please contact the
National Duty Press Officer on 07798 882
092.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Thames Water was fined £125,000 and
ordered to pay £21,335 in clean up
and investigation costs in January 2009
after pleading guilty to allowing a large
quantity of industrial strength chlorine
to spill into the River Wandle, wiping out
two decades of painstaking river restoration.
The spill originated from its Beddington
Sewage Treatment Works near Mitcham, South
London in September 2007.
The pollution spread downstream for nearly
5km and had a catastrophic impact, killing
the majority of the fish in the river. It
took three days to remove some two tonnes
of dead fish from the river. The incident
also affected the Wandle’s highly valued
recreational areas such as Poulter Park,
Ravensbury Park and the National Trust site
at Morden Hall Park.
The River Wandle is a well known chalk stream
and tributary of the River Thames that flows
through parts of Mitcham, Morden, Wimbledon
and Wandsworth in South West London, cutting
a green swathe through these heavily urbanised
areas. Historically the river has suffered
extreme pollution and was officially declared
a sewer in the 1960s. But over the last
20 years it has become a vibrant rich habitat
due to better environmental regulation,
a fish stocking programme and huge local
enthusiasm for the river which has resulted
in a vast improvement of water quality.
At the time it was estimated that the river
could take up to 10 years to recover.
