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Oil slicks on the Duke of Northumberland's River |
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A road tanker was drafted in as a heron was found dead in the Isleworth section of the river and the slick threatened other wildlife The oil has been coming down the river sporadically for a number of months but with outfall pipes into the river below the surface of the water environment officers have so far been unable to find the source. The oil, as well as other debris and rubbish, is currently contained by a bund across the river at Church Street weir, which stops it from reaching the River Thames. It is regularly cleared out by the Agency's response team but last week the slick dramatically increased in size, prompting a larger and costly clean-up operation. It is estimated the tanker removed almost 500 litres of oil from the surface of the river last Thursday (July 8). Due to its smell and quantity environment officers believe a negligent restaurant could be to blame, dumping its cooking oil directly into a drain which leads straight into the watercourse. Recent bad weather has hampered efforts to find those responsible but next month Environment Agency officers intend to lower the level of the water in the river and walk along its length to see which outfall pipe the oil is coming from. They then hope to trace the polluter. The Duke of Northumberland's River flows from the Colne north of Heathrow and runs through Hounslow and Richmondin Isleworth. It is an important for wildlife in west London, supporting a good population of fish. The oil is harmful as it blocks out the light and reduces the available oxygen in the water. It can also be harmful if it gets on to a birds' feathers. Alex Chown, senior environment officer, said: "In recent weeks cooking oil has severely polluted the river and the water quality has deteriorated dramatically. "The oil is not only offensive to look but it is harming the local environment. "We will not tolerate the actions of individuals or companies, which pollute our rivers and we are working hard to find the perpetrators in this case. Our aim is to ensure that the 'polluter pays' and we will prosecute where necessary. "We all have a responsibility to protect the environment. Anyone with information about who may be responsible for this pollution can call the Environment Agency's emergency incident number on 0800 80 70 60." Everyone should check their own homes to see that all of their appliances are connected to the foul water drain and not the surface water drain. Some bad DIY jobs mean that misconnections can occur and dirty water from washing machines, bath tubs and even toilets, that should be to the sewage stream, is going direct into our rivers. Thames Water estimate that 1:20 houses in London have misconnected drains, but most people think river pollution is from sources like factories, farms and industry - they don't think it could be them. Businesses and restaurants should check that their drains are clear and that they are disposing of oil in a responsible way - preferably getting it collected by a registered waste contractor. Again, mMembers of the public should call the Agency hotline on 0800 80 70 60 if they see anyone tipping any kind of substance down a surface water drain - it could be polluting a local river. For a full copy of our leaflet 'Are YOU polluting London's rivers and streams' call the Agency's customer contact centre on 08708 506 506. Tuesday, July 13, 2004
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The
Environment Agency has taken urgent action to clean up an oil slick
on the Duke of Northumberland's River, an ancient man-made watercourse
and important wildlife corridor. 
