Orwell oil polluter to pay £36,689
10 Apr 2014 02:47 PM
Oil from a waste
treatment plant in Ipswich polluted four miles of the River Orwell and
contaminated 12 swans, one of which died.
Ipswich Magistrates’ Court
heard today (Tues 1) that the company responsible had failed to manage and
operate its waste oil treatment site under the terms of its
permit.
Eco Oil Ltd was fined a total of
£30,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £6,569 as well as a victim
surcharge of £120.
The pollution in July 2012 cost
the company’s insurers £169,000 to clean up.
Mrs Miriam Tordoff, prosecuting
for the Environment Agency, said the company had failed to follow its own
procedures and on or about 8 July allowed oil to escape from its interceptor
tank, run across the concrete yard and into a surface water drain outside the
site entrance. The drain emptied into the river.
“Eco Oil failed to notify
us of the incident on the day it happened and failed to follow its own
management system,” she told magistrates.
Part of the River Orwell about
800m from the site is protected as it has numerous conservation designations
for birds and wetland including SPA (Special Protection Area), RAMSAR
(protected conservation site) and SSSI (Site of Special Scientific
Interest)
The pollution was discovered
during a routine patrol of the river by the Felixstowe Volunteer Coast Patrol
Rescue Service. The Harbour Master, Environment Agency and other agencies were
then notified.
Mrs Tordoff explained to the
court that the interceptor tank was used to separate oil from other
contaminants including water. This is done using an interceptor or separator,
which is a large tank usually situated underground. Over time the oil floats to
the top and the water and other contaminants sink allowing the oil to be
skimmed off. The Site’s drainage system also runs into the
interceptor.
Company employees told Agency
officers that the interceptor tank had been overwhelmed by the heavy rain. The
liquid waste being stored including oil had mix with the rain and overtopped
out of manhole covers above the interceptor tank. No contingency plans had been
made for heavy rainfall around the date of the pollution even though the
company’s own operating procedures stated they should
be.
After the hearing Environment
Agency officer Adrian Sherman said:
The company failed to check the
weather and the site was unmanned at a time when heavy rainfall was
predicted.
The effect on the river was
serious but could have been avoided altogether. The port authority acted
quickly and because of this the oil was contained to prevent it from affecting
downstream protected habitats.
Magistrates heard that Eco Oil,
which has a previous caution for an environmental offence, had since reviewed
its procedures and upgraded its equipment.
Chairman of the bench Mr
Fletcher said:
In considering the sentence we
accept the incident occurred during unusual heavy rain but the company acted
swiftly and effectively to clean up and paid for remedial work without cost to
the public purse.
They have also improved their
practices and procedures at considerable cost, however, significant
environmental damage was caused to areas close to the SSSI as well as damage to
wildlife.
The incident occurred due to
failure of established procedures.
Eco Oil pleaded guilty
to:
- On or about 08 July 2012, at Eco
Oil Ltd, Ipswich Terminal, Waste Oil Treatment Facility, Cliff Quay, Ipswich,
Suffolk, IP3 0BE, you did cause poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter
inland freshwaters, namely the River Orwell, without being authorised by an
environmental permit.
Contrary to Regulation 38(1)(a)
and Regulation 12(1)(b) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales)
Regulations 2010. Fined £15,000
- On or about 08 July 2012, at Eco
Oil Ltd, Ipswich Terminal, Waste Oil Treatment Facility, Cliff Quay, Ipswich,
Suffolk, IP3 0BE, you being the holder of Environmental Permit number EP3095EK,
failed to comply with condition 1.1.1 (a) of the said Permit in that you failed
to manage and operate the activities: In accordance with a written management
system that identifies and minimises risks of pollution.
Contrary to Regulation 38(2) of
the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. Fined
£15,000