Environment Agency prosecutes Castle Cement

The Environment Agency operates a round-the-clock free phone emergency hotline number – 0800 807060 – for reporting threats to the environment.

13-Jul-1999
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ANNOUNCES FURTHER PROSECUTION OF CASTLE CEMENT

The Environment Agency has announced that it is to prosecute Castle Cement Limited for two further alleged breaches of an Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) Authorisation at its Ribblesdale Works in Clitheroe, Lancashire.

It follows an Agency investigation into persistent haze and odours from the site which caused offence beyond the site boundary at ground level on 18 May and 8 June, this year. The Agency is alleging that Castle Cement breached a condition of its authorisation, under Sections 6 and 23 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

An enforcement notice was served on Castle Cement following the investigation into complaints on 8 June, which required the company to make necessary alterations to prevent odours continuing. The case will be heard at Blackburn Magistrates on 16 August 1999 at 2pm alongside allegations relating to breaches on March 4 and 5 this year.

AGENCY TAKES ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST CHEMICAL (?) COMPANY

An enforcement notice has been served on a Derbyshire chemicals company by the Environment Agency after it allowed an escape of solvents from its process.

The notice was served by an inspector from the Agency's Lower Trent Area Office, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to Mason Coatings plc, Nottingham Road, Derby, in relation to their authorisation to operate a chemicals process. Issue of the notice follows discovery by Agency officers visiting the site that a condenser had not been turned on for a short period of time during the process for thinning of resin. This was immediately rectified by the company. The notice requires the company to implement more suitable techniques, to ensure that the condenser attached to vent on vessels, used in the manufacture of resins, is operated at appropriate times during manufacture.

The condensers reduce the amount of solvents released to the atmosphere from the process. During the unauthorised emission an increased amount of the solvent (isopropyl alcohol) would have been released. Agency officers were on site at the time and were able to take action. Environment planning officer Duncan Slarke said: "The amount and environmental impact of the release is considered to be small."

Anglian Water Fined £14,000 for Polluting Beach

A half open valve is believed to have cost two of Lowestoft's beaches the prestigious Blue Flag status for quality for 1999 and Anglian Water a fine of £14,000.

At Lowestoft Magistrates Court on Wednesday 16 June, the company pleaded guilty to causing poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters which is an offence under the Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85(1). From the start of May bathing water is tested weekly to assess quality. The Court heard that on the 5 May 1998 three samples of bathing water failed to meet guideline limits and that North Beach failed to meet mandatory limits for faecal coliforms. This was reported to Anglian Water who discovered a half open valve at their Ness Point Sewage Pumping Station. This valve allowed crude sewage to discharge through a short outfall pipe whereas under normal operating conditions sewage would be discharged through a long outfall pipe about 1 km out to sea. It is not known how long the valve was in this position however; it is known that bathing water over the holiday weekend was of poor quality. The Court accepted the guilty plea and fined the company £14,000 plus £2,868.46 costs.

Speaking about the case on behalf of the Environment Agency, Environment Protection Team Leader Marcus Sibley said, "This is the first time we have prosecuted Anglian Water for a bathing beach failure. The Environment Agency permits discharges of sewage effluent into rivers, estuaries and coastal waters; the quality of these discharges is controlled by imposing strict conditions that are designed to protect the environment. We expect Anglian Water and other dischargers to comply with these legal consents at all times. When we investigate a case such as this and establish a breach of conditions, we will not hesitate to use our enforcement powers where appropriate. In this instance Anglian Water discharged sewage effluent to the North Sea in contravention of their consent."

There are three bathing beaches at Lowestoft, which are regularly tested for water quality during the bathing water season. These are at North Beach, the area North of Claremont Pier and South Beach at Victoria Bathing Station. South Beach held Blue Flag status and the beach North of Claremont Pier would have been eligible for Blue Flag status for the first time this year. The Blue Flag scheme was introduced across Europe in 1987 as a marque of quality. It is administered by the Tidy Britain Group. To qualify 26 criteria must be met, these relate to water quality, coastal quality, safety, services and facilities and environmental education.

NOTTS FIRM FINED FOR WASTE OFFENCES

Nottingham firm Eurotech Environmental Ltd, of Wollaton St, was fined a total of £7,000 and ordered to pay £892 in costs by Newark magistrates after admitting three charges relating to storage and labelling of waste chemicals.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching conditions of their waste management licence by incorrectly labelling waste, storing some on site for more than six months and keeping incorrectly labelled waste in a way which could cause harm or pollution of the environment, all in contravention in section 33 of the Environment Protection Act 1990. Claire Oakes, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told the court that Eurotech held a waste management licence for keeping and treating waste, including special wastes, at its facility at Northern Road Industrial Estate, Newark. A routine inspection by Agency staff on 23 and 24 June 1997 revealed that waste, including solvents, had been kept for more than six months, crates of containers holding chemicals had been incorrectly labelled in some cases and a drum containing acid had been left, incorrectly labelled as an alkali (sodium hydroxide), among other acid solutions. The court heard that keeping chemicals for long periods could result in increased risk of leakage or pressure build-up – mislabelled waste may also be easily mishandled and causes confusion. Mr Richard Barlow, representing the company, said that Eurotech accepted that it had broken licence conditions and stressed that the incidents had not caused environmental harm. He said that the company had since examined its systems to ensure that there was no repetition of the incidents.

Graeme Warren, environment protection manager for the Environment Agency, said: "It is important to comply with licence conditions in place, to ensure that waste is managed properly and safely without risk of harm."