Environment Agency ensure polluting companies

Environment Agency ensure polluting companies face court shame for killing fish


Companies across England and Wales were fined and charged more than ?100,000 by magistrates courts in April and May for pollution incidents which killed more than 5,500 fish. The prosecutions were brought by the Environment Agency.

Spread along waterways in Wales, the Manchester region, the Thames catchment and southern counties, the six most serious pollution prosecutions attracted ?78,000 in fines and ?28,456 in court costs. While the majority of fish killed were non-target species, up to one thousand were brown trout.

The pollution incidents included:

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water was fined ?10,000 after sewage leaked from a public sewer, contaminated a surface water discharge and then entered the Nant Mychydd watercourse at Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf. More than 800 fish were killed. Llwynypia Magistrates? Court also ordered the company to pay full costs of ?6,686.

Cable and Wireless Plc, based in Swindon, was ordered to pay more than ?29,500 by Swindon Magistrates Court on 10 April after polluting a 14km stretch of Westlea Brook, the River Ray and the River Thames on 23 January 2005, with eight tonnes of red diesel. More than 2,000 fish died.

Lectros International Limited, a chemical company, was fined ?10,000 (plus ?4,354 costs) by Pennine Magistrates? Court on 8 May for polluting the River Irwell and Langwood Brook with a mixture of fungicide and insecticide. Thousands of minor species and 47 brown trout died.

United Utilities Water Plc was prosecuted for the third time this year after admitting to polluting Rochdale?s River Beal with sewage on Saturday 30 July 2005, killing hundreds of brown trout. The company was fined ?7,000 and ordered to pay ?4,673 costs by Rochdale Magistrates? Court.

Southern Water Services Ltd was fined ?18,000 and ordered to pay ?2,000 costs by Lyndhurst Magistrates Court on Friday 12 May 2006, for a sewage leak that killed hundreds of fish in the Lymington River on Sunday 17 July 2005.


Southern Water Services Ltd was again prosecuted for causing raw sewage to pollute nearly 2km of Sunnyside Stream in East Grinstead on 5 September 2005. The company was fined ?9,000 and ordered to pay ?1,190 costs at Haywards Heath Magistrates Court. About 466 brown trout, 20 minnows, seven stoneloach and one stickleback died.

Ends

These fines are so small for such huge organisations, it makes me wonder.

It's like me or you taking 1p out of our pockets.

The sort of fines I envisage would be in the billions of pounds, not the millions, and the directors of these companies sent to jail for at least 20 years!

Ron
Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with you about the fines, you?ll note they were all dealt with in the Magistrate Courts. In those courts there is a maximum fine that can be levied on the guilty party. I think it?s about 20k now.

Only if a case goes before the Crown Court can unlimited fines be imposed.
However, the major polluters (and we all know who they are) when caught hold their hands up and cop a guilty plea. Facilitating the smooth running of the judicial system and keeping it in the lower courts.

Now, I think I?m right in saying that in criminal cases Stipendiary magistrates, now known as District Judges, have the right in some cases, to refer a case to the higher courts for sentencing.
Such a referral could then attract a more reflective fine for the profits such polluters accrue.
So why with the persistent offenders aren?t they doing this?

Anybody know the sentencing guidelines for this?

Oh and by the way, the sentencing guidelines are drawn up in conjunction with the Home Office and the Home Secretary!