Two Firms Penalized for Pollution Incident Causing Fish Fatalities

Two businesses have received penalties following a pollution event in a Worcestershire brook that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of fish. According to the Environment Agency (EA), waste from food manufacturer Elisabeth The Chef (ETC) was discharged into Worcester’s Laugherne Brook in 2017 due to human error and corporate failures. This incident stemmed from errors made by the engineering firm Civil Environmental Project Services Ltd (CEPS) during routine inspections. Both companies admitted culpability and were mandated to pay a combined total of £90,000 in fines at Worcester Crown Court on October 24. The EA reported that contamination was detected along nearly two miles (3km) of the brook, where the water had become murky. It was estimated that hundreds of fish, including brown trout, bullhead, dace, and gudgeon, perished as a consequence. The court was informed that on September 1, 2017, a CEPS employee visited the ETC site’s pumping station for scheduled maintenance but neglected to reactivate the pumps. Subsequently, waste accumulated in the pump well instead of being directed to the sewer, leading to an overflow of trade effluent, as stated by the EA. The pollution then escaped through a damaged sluice gate and entered a ditch situated alongside the factory. Several months prior, the EA noted that the same employee had installed an alarm too high within the pump well, preventing ETC from being alerted that the pumping station was non-operational. Both companies entered guilty pleas, with ETC acknowledging its failure to implement adequate checks and procedures to ensure the proper functioning of its on-site pumping station. ETC was fined £18,000 and ordered to cover prosecution costs of £52,000. CEPS received a fine of £4,000 and was instructed to pay prosecution costs amounting to £20,000. Environment officer Kelly Horsley expressed the EA’s approval of the judgment. She stated, “This was a serious pollution which caused considerable disruption besides fish deaths.” The BBC has sought comments from both companies.