Cornish mineral company fined for polluting salmon river

From the Environment Agency

A Cornish based mineral company was today ordered to pay £3,985 in fines and costs after fine clay particles were allowed to pollute a river known to support populations of salmon and brown trout for more than eight hours.

The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

The Stannon River is a high quality watercourse and a tributary of the River Camel Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Stannon Pit is a former china clay pit owned by Imerys Minerals Limited, near Camelford. The site is subject to on-going restoration.

On 14 February, 2007 Imerys Minerals Ltd notified the Agency that water from a mica dam had breached the embankment and entered a lower dam. As a result, the water in the second lagoon became discoloured and discharged to a perimeter leat and then to the Stannon river.

Imerys Minerals Ltd said the water levels were increased due to the extreme rainfall before the incident.

Subsequently Cornwall County Fire Brigade were requested by the company to use a pollution control vehicle, which is jointly funded by the Environment Agency and the fire brigade.

Suspended solids are known to have an adverse effect on aquatic species – including smothering of spawning gravels and plants and abrasion of fish gills. No dead fish or other aquatic life was noted as a result of this incident.

‘Imerys did not have the necessary equipment or resources to deal with the problem and allowed the polluting discharge to continue for longer than was necessary,’ said Paul Mitchell for the Environment Agency.

‘In the event of observing pollution incidents, the public should contact the Agency immediately on the emergency 24 hour freephone 0800 807060.’

Imerys Minerals Limited, of Par Moor Centre, Par Moor Road, Par, Cornwall, was today fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £985 costs by Bodmin magistrates after pleading guilty to causing polluting matter, namely suspended solids, to enter controlled waters, namely the Stannon Stream and the River Camel contrary to Section 85 (1) and (6) of the Water Resources Act 1991.