Tragic News...

**billy barbel** · by **billy barbel** on Wed Oct 07, 2009 5:21 pm

If any of you have seen the news today you will be aware that tons of partially treated sewage and cyanide poison has leaked into a 20 mile stretch of the river trent today,the environment agency estimates thats tens of thousands of fish have been killed and the news is set to get worse as the week rolls on. This is absolutely tragic news for those angling clubs in and around the river trent catchment area many of whom will now face financial problems as well as the loss of one the countrys top rivers. They reckon it could at least five years just to re balance the eco system of the river. The stretch affected is from stoke to yoxall, i have attached the EA statement press release below.

The Environment Agency will seek to prosecute those responsible for polluting the River Trent with cyanide – killing thousands of fish.

Environment Officers spent Tuesday night and Wednesday morning pumping oxygen into the river between Stoke-on-Trent and Yoxall – pollution levels in the river have been greatly reduced.

Environment Manager David Lowe said: “This incident is under control - river water quality is improving. Levels of pollutant in the river have fallen significantly, but we continue to monitor the situation closely.
“As a precaution – people and animals should stay out of the water until further notice.

“There are no drinking water abstraction points on the affected stretch of river and the Drinking Water Inspectorate have confirmed that public drinking supplies have not been affected.

“But thousands of fish have been killed and the Environment Agency considers this to be a serious pollution incident.

“We will thoroughly investigate and seek to prosecute those responsible.”

Severn Trent Water has confirmed that cyanide entered the Strongford Sewage Treatment Works in Stoke-on-Trent.

This disrupted the treatment process, allowing partially treated sewage to be released into the River Trent.

Under the Water Resources Act it is an offence to cause poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter rivers. Should a prosecution reach the Crown Court, fines are unlimited.

The largest fine for a similar offence occurred in 2004, with an Avonmouth-based chemical company Sevalco fined £240,000 for deliberating discharging cyanide into controlled water.