I
Ian Cloke
Guest
Magistrates heard today how a tributary of the River Camel turned ?bright orange? after being contaminated by silt during the construction of a new road across Goss Moor in Cornwall.
On October 24, 2005 the Environment Agency investigated reports of pollution on the Lanivet stream, a tributary of the River Camel. Arriving at Lamorick, officers immediately noticed the stream was heavily discoloured.
A tributary upstream of the Lanivet was found to be free of discoloration. This led the officers to visit the construction site of a new stretch of the A30 trunk road between Bodmin and Indian Queens.
The source of the pollution was traced to a small lagoon near the Innis Downs roundabout. Silty water was flowing from the lagoon towards a road drain. A sample of the water was found to contain extremely high levels of suspended solids.
A bund had been constructed close to the point where the contaminated water was entering the road drain. However, officers discovered that the bund had been deliberately breached by a sub-contractor working on the scheme.
The main contractor for the Highways Agency scheme is Alfred McAlpine Ltd. Some of the work was sub-contracted to Cornwall County Council?s in-house direct labour organisation, CORMAC. It was a CORMAC employee who cut the bund and caused the contaminated water to escape from the lagoon.
He said he had cut a hole in the bund to prevent the road from flooding. The company could have used pumps and tankers to remove the excess water. CORMAC were aware of the potential for flooding but did not act to lower the level in the lagoon.
An investigation revealed that CORMAC were supplied with documents on preventing pollution by McAlpines, but had neglected to read them.
The main contractors had installed the bund to prevent polluted run-off water from entering the Lanivet stream that is known to contain populations of salmon and sea trout. The silt travelled some 3.5 km downstream of the road construction site and was visible at the point where the Lanivet stream flows into the River Camel.
?This was a serious pollution incident that was completely avoidable. The River Camel is designated a Special Area of Conservation and is very important for species such as salmon, sea trout and otter. The discharge of high concentrations of suspended solids can cause serious harm to fish spawning grounds,? said Nick Keen for the Environment Agency.
Cornwall County Council was today fined ?1,000 and ordered to pay ?1,371 costs after pleading guilty to causing noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters, the Lanivet Stream, on October 24, 2005 contrary to Section 85(1) of the Water Resources Act 1991.
On October 24, 2005 the Environment Agency investigated reports of pollution on the Lanivet stream, a tributary of the River Camel. Arriving at Lamorick, officers immediately noticed the stream was heavily discoloured.
A tributary upstream of the Lanivet was found to be free of discoloration. This led the officers to visit the construction site of a new stretch of the A30 trunk road between Bodmin and Indian Queens.
The source of the pollution was traced to a small lagoon near the Innis Downs roundabout. Silty water was flowing from the lagoon towards a road drain. A sample of the water was found to contain extremely high levels of suspended solids.
A bund had been constructed close to the point where the contaminated water was entering the road drain. However, officers discovered that the bund had been deliberately breached by a sub-contractor working on the scheme.
The main contractor for the Highways Agency scheme is Alfred McAlpine Ltd. Some of the work was sub-contracted to Cornwall County Council?s in-house direct labour organisation, CORMAC. It was a CORMAC employee who cut the bund and caused the contaminated water to escape from the lagoon.
He said he had cut a hole in the bund to prevent the road from flooding. The company could have used pumps and tankers to remove the excess water. CORMAC were aware of the potential for flooding but did not act to lower the level in the lagoon.
An investigation revealed that CORMAC were supplied with documents on preventing pollution by McAlpines, but had neglected to read them.
The main contractors had installed the bund to prevent polluted run-off water from entering the Lanivet stream that is known to contain populations of salmon and sea trout. The silt travelled some 3.5 km downstream of the road construction site and was visible at the point where the Lanivet stream flows into the River Camel.
?This was a serious pollution incident that was completely avoidable. The River Camel is designated a Special Area of Conservation and is very important for species such as salmon, sea trout and otter. The discharge of high concentrations of suspended solids can cause serious harm to fish spawning grounds,? said Nick Keen for the Environment Agency.
Cornwall County Council was today fined ?1,000 and ordered to pay ?1,371 costs after pleading guilty to causing noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters, the Lanivet Stream, on October 24, 2005 contrary to Section 85(1) of the Water Resources Act 1991.