A REDDITCH company has made a financial contribution of over £1million to come into compliance and to deal with the effects of a pollution incident in 2018.
An investigation by the Environment Agency has ended in Mettis Aerospace making the payment under an Enforcement Undertaking.
An EU is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending.
Mettis Aerospace accepted that discharges from their metals installation, a site permitted by the Environment Agency, had caused a fish-kill incident.
The discharges, from the site’s surface water drainage system, arose from the uncontrolled overfilling of a process tank on the site and inadequate containment measures.
This meant a solution of caustic and sodium aluminate was able to leak into an unprotected surface water drain and into an adjacent watercourse. Around 1,000 fish were killed.
As an alternative to prosecution for the offence, Mettis offered an Enforcement Undertaking including spending some £504,240 on site infrastructure improvements.
Donations to environmental enhancement projects in Redditch and the Black Country totalling £379,500.
Initial pollution clean-up costs of £111,268
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Protecting the environment and taking action against those that damage or threaten this is our utmost priority.
“While we will always prosecute in the most serious cases, Enforcement Undertakings are an effective enforcement tool to allow companies to put things right and contribute to environmental improvements.
“They enable businesses to become more compliant and prevent repeat offending by improving their procedures, helping ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.”
Four organisations received donations to environmental enhancement projects in Redditch and the Black Country totalling £379,500.
The Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust received £139,500, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust £5,000, Forge Mill Needle Museum £55,000 and Redditch Borough Council £180,000.
