Environment Agency ensures access for all at Hailsham fishing lake

Environment Agency ensures access for all at Hailsham fishing lake

The Environment Agency has helped fund a platform that will enable peoplewith disabilities enjoy the angling facilities on offer at Hailsham CountryPark Lake in East Sussex.

The Environment Agency paid £ 15,000 towards the cost of the platform thatwill help increase angling opportunities for all in this urban area. Lookout for angling participation days to be held at the park later in the year.

Mark Bennett, Environment Agency Fisheries Officer, said of the work:

“This facility is quite unique within the area and will benefit manydisabled anglers. The location lends itself perfectly for our anglingparticipation days so we are hoping to take advantage of this to help thosewho might not otherwise have a chance to try out this great sport.

“We were only able to commit this money to the project thanks to the moneywe raise through rod licence sales. All of this money is invested directlyin fisheries work that benefits all anglers. And the great news is that wehave now extended the disability concession. It used to cover Blue Badgeholders with severe mobility problems but now anyone who receives DisabilityLiving Allowance is eligible for half price licence.”

The Environment agency worked on the project with Hailsham Town Council whoown the lake. The disabled platform was recommended by the British DisabledAngling Association. It was designed with a smooth surface, graded ramps andrails and includes pathways which are wide enough for wheelchair users tohave access at ease.

The Environment Agency is reminding all anglers that rod licences expire onMarch 31. Almost three million people who receive Disability LivingAllowance in England and Wales are eligible for a half price fishing licencefrom April 1, 2007.

The Environment Agency has extended the disability concession – which usedto cover only Blue Badge holders with severe mobility problems – to includeall people receiving Disability Living Allowance. New rod licences can bepurchased from 15,000 Post Offices and other outlets which sell them. Formore information telephone 0870 1662662 or visitwww.environment-agency.gov.uk/rodlicence

Plant food pollution Ignorance led to fine

Flamingo Flowers continually polluted Childers South Drove at Spalding when they poured a flower nutrient chemical mix into a surface water drain, the town’s magistrates were told today (Tues).

An investigation in June last year came up with evidence that it had been going on for at least a year because the company at Fulney Nurseries, Rangell Gate was ignorant as to its effect on the environment.

Spalding Magistrates’ Court fined Flamingo Flowers £ 3,000 and ordered them to pay full Environment Agency costs of £ 4,337.

The stream was grossly polluted for about 1.5 kilometres and the only things left alive were a few highly pollution-tolerant species. Immediately downstream of the discharge only dead invertebrates of three extremely pollution-tolerant groups were found.

It was calculated that between 5,000 to 15,000 litres a day of the waste liquid had been poured into the slow-flowing watercourse after it had been used to feed and preserve flowers while they were stored before being made into bouquets.

Company drainage plans quite clearly showed that the liquid waste outlet was connected to a surface water drain.

The liquid waste was moderately high in organic matter being only a bit less harmful than crude untreated sewage. This leads to a lowering of oxygen levels in the water and measurements in the drove showed levels as low as 9% when they should have been about 70%. Course fish can suffocate at low dissolved oxygen levels.

When interviewed by Environment Agency officers, company representatives David Brown and Chris Gilbertwood admitted that they did not have safety data sheets for some of the chemicals they use. They wrongly applied the advice given in a data sheet of a similar chemical to the one that was the chief cause of the pollution.

But even that sheet stated that the liquid should not be allowed to enter surface water or groundwaters and that spills should be absorbed with a liquid binding material. A neutralising agent should also have been used for the offending chemical Chrysal Clear RVB, labelled as being ‘harmful to aquatic organisms’ as it ‘may cause long term adverse effects in the aquatic environment’.

Magistrates were told that during that time the company also saved money by not having to pay for either a treatment plant and discharge consent or to have the waste taken away.

As soon as the offence was pointed out to the company they stopped discharging into the water and had the waste liquid taken away in tankers.

Flamingo Flowers pleaded guilty to: On or about 23 June 2006 you did cause poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters, namely a drain at Childers South Drove, Low Fulney, Spalding, contrary to section 85(1) and section 85(6) Water Resources Act 1991.

After the hearing investigating Environment Agency officer Graham Cantellow said: ‘This pollution happened because chemical solution was deliberately disposed of over a long time into the surface water drain which discharges into a watercourse.

‘Flamingo Flowers were in possession of material safety data sheets for the chemicals, which were stored in containers bearing labels describing the adverse effects they could have on the water environment. This information was ignored and a disposal system was installed to direct the chemicals to the nearest watercourse.

‘I hope this case sends out a message to other companies who seek to employ a method of disposal that pollutes the environment that it is not acceptable. A quick glance at the Environment Agency’s publication ‘Pollution Prevention Pays, Getting Your Site Right’ could have prevented this unfortunate incident and the impact on the environment.’

River Corve pollution prosecution

On 19 March 2007 Simon Brown (60) of Poplars Farm, Brockton, Much Wenlockpleaded guilty at Telford Magistrates Court to a charge relating topollution of the River Corve.

The charge was brought by the Environment Agency under the Water ResourcesAct (1991). Simon Brown was fined £ 5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £ 1,500.Mr Brown had previously agreed to pay the Environment Agency’s Investigativecosts of £ 4,312 under the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’.

For the Environment Agency, Jill Robson told the court that Simon Brown isone of four partners trading as E G Brown and Sons, and that he has overallresponsibility for the management of the farm and owns most of the land atPoplars Farm, Brockton.

On 6 February 2006, an Environment Agency officer visited the River Corve atShipton after receiving reports that the river smelt of slurry and had abrown discolouration.

The next day two officers went back and found dead fish in the River Corvenear Poplars Farm. A trail of dead invertebrates led to a ditch near theslurry lagoon at the farm. Here officers inspected the site further and tookphotographs and samples of the water.

Analysis on the samples showed that a slurry leak from Poplars Farm hadcaused pollution on the River Corve downstream of the farm. In an interviewMr Brown admitted that a slurry leak on 5 February 2006 from the lagoon onthe farm, could have got into the river via a land drain .

Speaking after the case, Adam Shipp, an Environment Agency officer involvedin the investigation said:

“Slurry and manure are very polluting to thewater environment. They cause oxygen to be removed from the water and theycontain ammonia, which is very toxic to fish. On this occasion fish andinvertebrates died as a result of the slurry pollution from Poplars Farm. Inthe light of this serious incident we would ask farmers to inspect anylagoons or stores for leaks and when they are spreading slurry to check landdrains, streams or brooks for any signs of contamination”.

“If you do suspect slurry, or other pollutants, may have entered awatercourse, please contact the Environment Agency as soon as possible on0800 807060 as we may be able to reduce its impact on the environment.”

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