Flannery Civil Engineering Ltd, of Willow Bridge Way, Castleford, admitted to an environmental offence for an unauthorised discharge of water, containing silt and sediment, into a nearby watercourse which runs into Grimescar Dyke.
Housing firm, Miller Homes Ltd, of Edinburgh, also admitted to a similar charge for its involvement in the same incident.
It had contracted Flannery to construct four storage lagoons in order to reduce the risk of flooding.
However, following a heavy rainfall, the lagoons filled with water and when Flannery attempted to allow them to drain, silt water ran directly into the watercourse, affecting its water quality.
The Environmental Agency was contacted by a member of the public and carried out an investigation which resulted in the two firms giving conflicting answers to questions about the responsibility for monitoring the lagoons.
“Construction sites of any kind can have a detrimental impact on the environment,” said the Environment Agency.
“Silt and sediment in particular is a very common problem - that’s why it is vital that construction companies take their environmental responsibilities seriously and ensure that effective pollution prevention is planned into every development at an early stage.
“Silt and sediment can coat the bed of a watercourse and damage the habitat of aquatic insects and similar. These are an important part of the ecosystem, providing food for fish and other higher species.”
The offence was Flannery’s first conviction in 42 years of trading and it was ordered to pay £2,415.03 in costs.
The engineering firm apologised to the court and accepted that it had failed to have measures in place to cope with an overfilling lagoon.
Miller Homes will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Monday 11th April.
Leave a comment