Pollution caused devastation along River Witham

A FAULTY pipe leaked deadly fertiliser into the River Witham, polluting a 46km stretch in one of the largest environmental incidents ever recorded in Lincolnshire.

The Environment Agency prosecuted Lincolnshire firm OMEX Agriculture Ltd - which leaked three million litres of liquid urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) concentrate fertiliser into the river wiping out more than 135,000 fish.

The firm pleaded guilty to pollution charges at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court and was ordered to pay a total of £510,190.

The pollution in early March 2018 stretched from Bardney near Lincoln to The Wash at Boston and was caused by the failure of an overground pipe which the Agency said devastated nearby rivers and surrounding woodland. Impact from the pollution destroyed all invertebrates in the river’s tributaries for more than 23km downstream of the site.

Immediately after the pollution, the Environment Agency and partners worked ‘tirelessly’ to mitigate the impacts. They restocked the river with more than 1.5 million fish larvae and 70,000 roach and bream.

While the water quality of the River Witham improved within a few days, it could take years for the fisheries to recover, the court heard.

The incident at the company’s facility at Bardney Airfield, Tupholme, was designated as Category 1, the most severe of three Environment Agency ratings.

OMEX was ordered to pay a fine of £160,000, ordered to pay costs of £350,000 and a victim surcharge of £190.

District Judge Veits said that the incident ‘was avoidable had proper checks been made’. He added that ‘checks were not clear or well documented’ and that the failures involved were ‘foreseeable’.

Leigh Edlin, Environment Agency area director for Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, said:

“The pollution of the River Witham by OMEX was a devastating event and one of the largest environmental incidents we have seen in Lincolnshire.

The Environment Agency has worked tirelessly to undo the damage, introducing thousands of fish, and requiring the polluter, OMEX, to repair the damage that was done.

Today marks the end of the legal process and we are rightly pleased with the result in the court. This is one part of a much larger effort, led by the Environment Agency, to ensure the River Witham is restored and that the polluter pays financially and legally.”

In July 2020, OMEX was ordered to carry out river recovery measures set out by the Environment Agency. Under the Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2015, the company has been working to restore the river to its former health.

Fish refuges have been installed across half a dozen locations on the river. OMEX has also created further backwaters along the river, areas where fish have calm and still water to breed and shelter. The company must assess whether fish populations have recovered, or whether more restocking is required to bring the river back to its former health.

OMEX will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the improvements for at least the next decade.

Anyone who suspects a pollution incident is urged to report it to the Environment Agency’s hotline on 0800 80 70 60.