Raw sewage pollutes Snowdonia mountain lake

allanw · #1 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 03:50 PM

Llyn Padarn can expect another algae bloom this year now

BBC News - Raw sewage pollutes Snowdonia mountain lake

john10001 · #2 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 09:45 PM

Wonder what the likely outcome of this is?

Odds on they get away with it
3/1 small insignificant fine of upto £10,000

aenoon · #3 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allanw

Raw sewage pollutes Snowdonia mountain lake

Saw that report too on news.
What disturbed me most was comment that it had been going on for a considerable time, therefore it aint an accident, but was probably known about by perpretator.
Hope they get hung out to dry.
regards
bert

wildwelshbrownie · #4 (**permalink**) 22-04-2010, 08:01 AM

Hi there, this farce has been trundling on for years. At one stage, the enrichment was so great, the char were affected, in that they became grossly flabby and looked like stock fish, instead of the graceful three quarter pounds (tops) that they had been, really horrible fish to catch. The water company has not addressed the problem on the correct scale and always seem to blame one factor or the other. High time they were nailed on this one. TC

meganeura · #5 (**permalink**) 22-04-2010, 09:05 AM

I understand all Llanberis residents, and all local anglers, are hugely disappointed by this tragedy which continues to unfold.
The complacency and inaction of the local (Seiont, Gwyrfai & Llyfni) angling club and ACA/Fish Legal is simply staggering.

Welsh Water have hung out the lakes precious charr and ferox population to dry whilst the EA turned a blind eye yet again.

Why didn't 'Fish Legal' initiate a prosecution of Welsh Water when EA Wales, in a duty of care failure, didn't?

john10001 · #6 (**permalink**) 22-04-2010, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meganeura

I understand all Llanberis residents, and all local anglers, are hugely disappointed by this tragedy which continues to unfold.
The complacency and inaction of the local (Seiont, Gwyrfai & Llyfni) angling club and ACA/Fish Legal is simply staggering.

Welsh Water have hung out the lakes precious charr and ferox population to dry whilst the EA turned a blind eye yet again.

Why didn't 'Fish Legal' initiate a prosecution of Welsh Water when EA Wales, in a duty of care failure, didn't?

That's a good question. Has anyone asked them?

With the constant failure of the EA to do anything about pollution incidents like this and secret deals done behind closed doors with the perpetrators and puny fines, I think its up to organisation like TAT and Fish Legal to take it up on our behalf and failing that definitely the local angling club should take action in court.

aenoon · #7 (**permalink**) 23-04-2010, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john10001

With the constant failure of the EA to do anything about pollution incidents like this and secret deals done behind closed doors with the perpetrators and puny fines

At a bit of a loss here, but ea in wales are saying they rushed out to site, and took necessary action as soon as they were informed?

Raw sewage pollutes parkland lake - MSN News - MSN UK

If you guys knew this was going on, why oh why was it not reported??

bert

Ephemerella · #8 (**permalink**) 23-04-2010, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aenoon

At a bit of a loss here, but ea in wales are saying they rushed out to site, and took necessary action as soon as they were informed?

Raw sewage pollutes parkland lake - MSN News - MSN UK

If you guys knew this was going on, why oh why was it not reported??

bert

It was "reported" numerous times. From the Angling Trust website:

Quote:

Fish Legal: Environment Agency “complacent” about toxic algae
Environment Agency “complacent” about toxic algae30.06.09

Fish Legal has expressed surprise at what it sees to be the Environment Agency’s apparent lack of concern at the severe and potentially toxic algal blooms in Llyn Padarn, home to one of the rarest fish species in Wales, the arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). The Agency recently described the algal bloom as a “natural phenomenon”.

The glacial llyn, which is protected as a SSSI, supports one of only three remaining native populations of arctic charr, or torgoch (‘red belly’) in Wales. The species is extremely sensitive to environmental changes and the current proliferation of algae - described by Fish Legal members the Seiont Gwyrfai and Llynfi Anglers Society as the worst in living memory - is thought to be symptomatic of an imbalance in the llyn ecosystem.

Fish Legal, as the then ACA, first became involved in relation to the nutrient enrichment of Llyn Padarn back in 1993, bringing proceedings on behalf of the Seiont Gwyrfai and Llynfi Anglers Society against Welsh Water for the decline of the llyn as a fishery. Evidence was put before the court of an historic rise in phosphorus concentrations in the llyn, causing eutrophication, with the source of the phosphates substantially attributed to the discharges from Llanberis Sewage Treatment Works (STW).

This civil claim, although ultimately unsuccessful in achieving a financial settlement, led to Welsh Water’s decision to introduce phosphate-stripping at the Llanberis STW to reduce the instances of algal blooms. To the relief of the angling club, following the action brought by the ACA, a new consent was issued by the Environment Agency to reduce permitted phosphate discharges into the Afon-y-Bala which flows into the Llyn.

This should have been an end to the matter. However, once again, anglers are reporting a deterioration in the water quality of the lake, noting sludge deposits on the bed of the Afon-y-Bala and observing cloudy discharges from the outfall at the works, all of which are seen as a threat to fish populations.

Following the involvement of Fish Legal in late 2007, the frequency of chemical monitoring by the Environment Agency at the Llanberis STW and its outlet into the Afon-y-Bala was increased in January 2008.

The Agency’s report summarising the findings has just been released and Fish Legal is shocked to learn that only 1 of 3 apparent discharge pipes is currently being monitored to determine whether Welsh Water is discharging within the terms of the consent. The source, frequency and the nature of the discharges from the two additional pipes is, at present, unknown, and brings into question all past effluent data.

Fish Legal is calling for comprehensive and continuous monitoring of the effluent discharging from the Llanberis sewage treatment works, analysis of the nutrient build-up on the lake bed and a thorough investigation into the links between the discharges from the works and the explosion of algal growth to determine whether a review of the current consent terms at the Llanberis works is necessary to prevent a further deterioration in the Llyn Padarn and to protect its Arctic charr.

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of Fish Legal, said. “We and our member clubs are very concerned about the Agency’s attitude to this very serious issue. For the EA to write off toxic algal blooms as a natural phenomenon, particularly when the pollution from the sewage works is being monitored so inadequately, smacks of complacency at best and incompetence at worst. Llyn Padarn is a jewel in the wonderful Welsh landscape and should be treated with kid gloves, not slapdash regulation and monitoring.”

Huw Hughes, secretary of the SGLAS said, ” The lake looks horrendous – it’s a bright and unnatural green. We have known since 1992 about the causes of the algae and yet the EA are doing little to address the problem of the decline of Llyn Padarn and the Seoint river. If nothing is done, this will be the end of the lake and the river as a sustainable fishery and habitat for Arctic charr. It will also have a long term effect on Llanberis as centre for tourism when visitors know the true cause of the problem.“

Fish Legal, formerly the ACA, is an arm of the Angling Trust that fights pollution and other damage to the water environment throughout the UK.

aenoon · #9 (**permalink**) 23-04-2010, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ephemerella

It was "reported" numerous times. From the Angling Trust website:

Thanks for history, obviously Welsh EA PR Department are trying to gain brownie points.(no pun intended)
What about the angling associations involved posting above commennts and reports on Welsh EA site and indeed comments section under msn discussion boards.
Bet you would get serious action then!
regards
bert

Mark Lloyd · #10 (**permalink**) 08-05-2010, 11:01 AM

Fish Legal has been pushing the Environment Agency to act on Llyn Padarn for a long time now. We have attended numerous meetings with them, carried out several site visits, issued press releases and have spent thousands of pounds on expert reports to try to force them to act. We have worked very closely with our member angling clubs in the area to keep up the pressure. Our legal team has devoted several weeks of work to driving forward a solution to this ongoing problem which is polluting this very special llyn.
We are also currently helping the Angling Trust bring a detailed and expensive Judicial Review of the EA for its failure to implement the Water Framework Directive, which is directly related to this case.
I am disappointed therefore to see criticism of us in this thread as apparently having sat on our hands.
We would love to do more, but are limited by our resources, which are limited by the number of anglers who have joined up.
Please join us now at Angling Trust Organisation for Anglers

Mark Lloyd
Chief Executive, Angling Trust & Fish Legal

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