From :
http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/News/Uttlesford/Judge-slashes-fine-over-Thaxted-river-pollution-04022013.htmJudge slashes fine over Thaxted river pollutionA FINE imposed against Anglian Water for allowing raw sewage to pollute the River Chelmer at Thaxted – killing more than 400 fish – has been slashed from £36,000 to £20,000.
The utility appealed against the sentence, imposed last October, at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday (
The category one major incident on June 24, 2011 was caused by an underground blockage in The Tanyards, combined with a build up of fats, oil and grease. There were also sewage solids in the water and a strong smell of sewage.
Hutingdon based Anglian Water Services Ltd was prosecuted by the Environment Agency as a result of the leak and pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates Court to causing sewage and trade effluent to enter a tributary of the River Chelmer.
A 3km stretch of the stream and river was polluted by toxic levels of ammonia and there were 421 dead fish: lamprey, bullheads, sticklebacks, minnows and stone loach. Shrimps, worms and mayflies were also affected.
However after the crown court appeal, Judge Rodger Hayward Smith QC said magistrates had given a one-third reduction for an early guilty plea against the maximum fine of £50,000.
He continued: "We think that's too high. We do think there was a substantial level of damage, so there must be a substantial fine, but £36,000 is too high."
Sarah Lefevre, for Anglian Water, said possible high risk problems in this area had not been brought to the company's notice before.
The pipeline was virtually horizontal and had now been added to the yearly jetting maintenance programme.
She added that Anglian Water dealt with 15,000 blockages a year in its network at a cost of £7m a year.
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Disgrace when they say they spent 7m on blockages but paid 478m in dividends and lend a 'Cayman Island' subsidiary 1609m in 2002, and pay little tax.
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