Molson Coors fined for river pollution
The firm pleaded guilty to causing a water discharge activity and breaching the condition of its environmental permit with respect to monitoring the Lasham Drain for fungus.
The case was brought by the UK Environment Agency, for polluting the River Wey and the Lasham Drain (which carries surface water runoff and is a tributary of the river).
Offences resulted in the discharge of process trade effluent from installations at the premises at Alton Brewery in Hampshire and causing pollution which went undetected.
Molson Coors: We regret this isolated incident
In a statement, the firm said it wholly respects the Magistrates’ decision and recognises the matter is now closed.
“At Molson Coors we are serious about our commitment to environmental compliance and we have a long and respectful history of maintaining the water course around the Alton brewery site. We regret this isolated incident occurred.
“Molson Coors acknowledges it was a contributor to an already existing problem and we will continue to watch with interest as the Environment Agency pursues its investigation into other third parties’ involvement in this case.”
Building extension work
Basingstoke Magistrates Court heard last week that there had been gutters on the building known as the “boiler room” next to a trade effluent chamber that ran to the Lasham Drain.
Gutters had been removed when the building had been extended and the chamber was converted from a storm water drain to a trade waste effluent drain from that part of the building.
When the alterations were made the contractors used a liner which did not seal the chamber to divert the trade effluent, resulting in not the existing pipe and pathway to the Lasham Drain not being completely blocked.
Environment officers traced the pollution to the company premises where a discharge of trade effluent was seen to be entering the Lasham Drain culvert. The effluent was flowing into the drain culvert through cracks and defects in the chamber.
The company had also failed to respond to regular monitoring and visual inspections that they were obliged to do as a requirement of a permit from the Environment Agency. This monitoring indicated there was a serious problem but the firm failed to act upon this information, said EPA.
Drainage problems at the site which caused the pollution led to a reduction in the water’s biological quality at Lasham Drain and downstream in the Wey North, compared with the upstream control site.
Presence of large quantities of sewage fungus indicated very high nutrient organic matter was entering the Lasham Drain.
Paul Greaves, senior environment agency officer, said it will do everything within its powers to safeguard the environment and people affected.
“It is important that the courts send out a clear message to all companies operating in this sector. Regulations are there to protect the environment and that the courts will act firmly where regulations are breached and where the environment is either damaged or put at risk of damage.”
