Usual Suspect United Utilities Pollute Again

For the third time this year, United Utilities (UU) have paid compensation to an
angling club following the pollution of a fishery. When UU refused to settle
without court action, the Anglers' Conservation Association (ACA) issued proceedings
on behalf of the Common Bank Angling Club, based in Chorley in Lancashire, after
their fishery was left decimated by sewage pollution. UU eventually agreed to pay
£4,000 to compensate the club's losses.

In two separate incidents in March 2006, raw sewage was allowed to spew out of a
manhole cover, into a feeder stream leading to the nearby Common Bank Lodge. The
two spillages were attributed to a failure at the poorly-maintained Lydd Grove
Sewage Pumping Station in Chorley. Damage to the lake was compounded by a
simultaneous diesel spill, allegedly coming from a nearby hospital. Huge numbers of
fish were killed - several hundred perch, roach, gudgeon, bream, carp and a few pike
all perished - the majority dying slowly from lack of oxygen, with flocks of gulls
visiting in the days that followed to pick off the dead fish floating on the
surface.

The Club were expecting a robust response from the Environment Agency but were
surprised and disappointed at the Agency's decision to merely send a warning letter
to the utility company with no further legal action.

Phil Johnson of the club said: "We were unhappy with the Environment Agency
fullstop. Club members found them dismissive, and pads that they placed on the
water to soak up the pollution were just left in place and never removed.
Eventually we disposed of the pads ourselves."

Mark Lloyd, the Executive Director of the ACA commented, "Claims against United
Utilities are becoming a regular feature at the ACA. The company is also regularly
unwilling to pay up for the damage it causes to our members' fisheries. We want UU
to start taking more responsibility for its actions. Our message is clear: even if
the Environment Agency doesn't enforce, we are ready to take civil action against
any polluters if they damage an ACA member's fishery. We recommend that all the
clubs and fisheries in the North West should join our organisation in case their
river or lake is next to be polluted."

The ACA has settled two other pollution cases against United Utilities in 2008 -
securing a £25,000 pay out following pollution of the Taf Fechan, in Mid Glamorgan,
with aluminium sulphate in August 2006 and a £30,000 settlement for the Rochdale &
District Angling Association after inundations of chlorinated, heavily silted water
from a UU reservoir flooded their fishery. In 2007, UU agreed to settle after the
issue of proceedings at court following the pollution of the Rivers Dane and Croco
with raw sewage. The ACA is also appealing against a court judgement in April of
this year in which the utility company were held not liable for allowing raw sewage
to flow for two days out of a blocked mains sewer into the River Eamont in Cumbria
in 2006.

-ENDS-

For further information contact the ACA on 01568 620 447/07780 996 488 or
[email protected]

1. The ACA was founded in 1948 with the purpose of using the law to fight to protect
the aquatic environment and fisheries. Since then, the ACA has won in excess of two
thousand cases and recovered many millions of pounds in damages, which is returned
to the members represented to plough back into angling and the protection of the
aquatic environment. Only three cases have ever been lost. Clubs or riparian owners
wishing to join the ACA should phone 01568 620 447 during office hours or download a
subscription form from the website: www.a-c-a.org

2. The Common Bank Angling Club was set up 25 years ago. Prior to the pollution in
2006 the club had over 70 members. After the incident match attendance fell,
pleasure anglers stayed away and active members have fallen to around 25. As a
result the club have been forced to give up their lease of the Common Bank Lodge and
have moved the few remaining fish to a holding pond until such time as the club find
a new fishery.