'Unacceptable': Environment Agency reveals 4,000 litres of chemicals were spilled in Walsall canal

Area director Marc Lidderth gave the warning on Friday morning after chemicals, including sodium cyanide, were discovered in the canal in Pleck on Monday, which he described as a "serious pollution incident".

Anochrome Ltd, which is based on Reservoir Place in Pleck, has been identified as the source of the chemical-spill and Mr Lidderth said there could be "robust enforcement action" against the business if "wrongdoing" is identified.

Earlier in the week, the metal-finishing company admitted it was behind the incident and said the safety of the community and environment was its "top priority".

A 12-mile stretch of the waterways from the Walsall lock flight to the lock flights at at Rushall/Ryders Green and Perry Barr was closed for several days after the spill, as residents were warned of a potential risk to life.

Walsall Council announced on Monday morning it had reduced the restricted area of the canal to one kilometre.

'Completely unacceptable'

Speaking at Reservoir Place on Friday, Mr Lidderth confirmed approximately 4,000 litres of chemicals had been spilled into the water, which he labelled "completely unacceptable".

He said: "Late last night the Environment Agency's sampling and testing programme, that has been carried out throughout the week, [saw] the first laboratory analysis land with us.

"That has meant we have able to identify exactly where the chemicals are within the canal network and it is really good news to find the chemicals haven't spread as far and wide as we initially feared.

"That has meant large parts of the canal network have reopened to the public this morning. We do however have a one kilometre stretch behind me here that is where the chemicals are.

"Canal and River Trust has placed a barrier further down the canal which is containing that chemical spill and the Environment Agency are continuing to carry out sampling and testing to understand the concentration of these chemicals within this part of the water course.

"Where the canal network has reopened, that means that it is safe now for the public to go back into that space. Public health through Walsall Council and the expert advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that."

The chemicals which have been detected in the canal including zinc cyanide and sodium cyanide.

Sodium cyanide dissolves in water and can cause severe health effects or even prove fatal for those who come into direct physical contact with it.

Mr Lidderth said the next steps are to continue to protect the environment and investigate the chemical make-up of the remaining one kilometre stretch of the canal which is still closed off to the public.

He added: "As well as that, the Environment Agency are continuing to investigate into the cause of this pollution.

"We know that the source of the pollution has come from Anochrome Ltd, where they spilled approximately 4,000 litres of chemicals into this water course. That pollution is completely unacceptable.

"We will be doing everything we can now, working with our partners, gathering evidence, to formulate an investigation to understand the cause of that spill. We will then be looking at what the next steps will be when we complete that investigation.

"That could lead to robust action from the Environment Agency under our 'polluter pays' principle."

A risk to the public

Speaking exclusively to the Express & Star, Mr Lidderth said that while it is "good news" that a majority of the canal network has reopened, there is still a risk to the public.

He continued: "At the moment it is too early to say in terms of how soon this part of the canal will reopen, what we are urging is making sure the public keep up to date with the information coming out to make sure the public stay away from this part of the canal.

"What the Environment Agency sampling and testing programme will continue to do over the course of the next few days is to identify those concentration levels.

"That will then lead us to making informed decisions as a partnership, looking at exactly what the decisions will be about public health safety, but also what the implications are for the aquatic life within the canal and the wildlife that surrounds it."

The area director said the dead fish that were spotted floating in the canal in the days following the chemical-spill will form part of the agency's evidence into its investigation against Anochrome Ltd.

He added: "In terms of the wildlife and the wider impact, yes there has been a large number of dead fish from this serious pollution incident.

"What we will be looking at is there will be a collection of those dead fish to hopefully mitigate against birds taking them away.

"What we can then utilise those fish for is helping us to identify the cause of the death, which will then point to if it was a pollution incident and those chemicals.

"That all forms part of the evidence for us as well as our investigations on site from the operator that has caused this pollution, Anochrome Ltd.

"Our investigation work with co-operation from the operator will start to identify that cause. If we do find there has been any wrongdoing, or from the permit the Environment Agency provides to that operator, if they have breached any of those permit conditions, we will then look at what robust enforcement action will take place against the operator."

Mr Libberth said the agency has a "robust sampling and testing programme" which it will continue to roll out at the Walsall canal in the coming days.

He told the Express & Star: "In terms of wider water testing the Environment Agency does that, predominantly on rivers in terms of looking at the water quality side of things.

"But our focus here today is getting those sampling completing further today, giving us more laboratory analysis results that will help inform us then around how long this canal potentially may stay closed but also what our next steps will be to continue to protect the environment as best as we can."

Later on Friday, an Environment Agency spokesperson said: "We are continuing to work closely with Walsall Council, the UK Health Security Agency and other partners to respond to the serious chemical spill incident in Walsall and to assess the impact on the environment.

"We are currently investigating the company that is believed to have caused this incident. Pollution of this kind is unacceptable and the impact on wildlife and the environment can be severe. We will take robust enforcement action if non-compliance is uncovered.

"As a result of our ongoing sampling and testing programme, the cordon restricting access to the canal has now been reduced. We urge the public to continue to follow safety advice given by the local council."

What has Anochrome Ltd said about the chemical spill in Walsall Canal?

In an earlier statement, Anochrome Ltd admitted it was the source of the chemical-spill.

The company said: "We can confirm that a chemical incident occurred at Anochrome Ltd Walsall in the early hours of Monday, August 12.

"Regrettably, as a result, some of the released chemicals entered a canal in Walsall. Our immediate response was to notify the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water.

"Our senior management team has been, and remain, on-site working collaboratively with all relevant authorities and agencies to minimise and contain the spill.

"In addition, from the moment we were aware of the incident, we have made all our facilities available to the authorities and agencies in attendance, including in-house laboratory testing facilities.

"The safety of our community and the environment is our top priority. We are focused on limiting the impact of this incident and will provide further updates as they become available."

Walsall Council has advised anyone who has been exposed – in the form of direct physical contact – with water along the affected stretch of the canal and is feeling unwell to call 111 or 999 in an emergency.