§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what fines were levied on companies and individuals responsible for polluting(a) the river Don and (b) the river Rother, over the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryDetailed information on prosecutions and fines for water pollution offences is not held centrally. However, I understand from the National Rivers Authority (NRA) that prosecutions it has brought since its formation on 1 September 1989 in respect of polluting discharges to the Don and Rother systems have resulted in the following fine:
Name of offender: Yorkshire Water plc Watercourse: Ewden Brook Fine Imposed: £1,000 Prior to 1 September last year, the regional water authorities were primarily responsible for enforcement of water pollution controls. From the records kept by the Yorkshire Water Authority (YWA) the NRA has been able to provide the following details of prosecutions brought by the YWA in respect of pollution of the Don and Rother systems: 359W
(a) Prosecutions for Pollution of the Don and its Tributaries (brought by the former Yorkshire Water Authority) Name of offender Date of offence Watercourse Fine(s) imposed (£s) National Coal Board 8 June 1979 Went Beck 100 Doncaster Coalite 10 June 1979 Thistle Goit Dyke 300 HSB Fuel Recovery Services 24 March 1980 Owston Common Drain 500 Prosper DeMulder 4 August 1980 River Don 550 National Coal Board 25 February 1981 River Don 200 A. Ogden and Sons 5 October 1981 River Dearne 200 McErlaine Plant 20 October 1980 River Dearne 250 National Coal Board 22 February 1982 Knoll Beck 200 British Tissues 14 May 1982 River Don 1,500 Hatfield Aggregates 25 June 1984 Tributary of River Dearne 500 Eaton and Booth 16 May 1984 River Loxley 50 Coatlite Fuels and Chemicals 19 August 1984 Grimethorpe Dike 1,200 D. C. Cook 20 July 1984 Knoll Beck 400 Rigby Metals 24 July 1985 River Dearne 500 D. C. Cook 9 October 1985 Tributary of River Dearne 250 23 October 1985 Tributary of River Dearne 750 Firma Chrome 11 February 1986 River Sheaf 500 National Coal Board 8 July 1987 Howell Beck 250 S. H. Brook 4 February 1987 Tributary of River Dearne 200 9 December 1986 Tributary of River Dearne 200 16 November 1986 Tributary of River Dearne 200 R. E. Dyson 3 June 1988 Load Brook 250 4 June 1988 Load Brook 150 Dale Farm Dairy Products 16 August 1988 Roundwood Brook 500 17 August 1988 Roundwood Brook 500 G. R. Stein Refractories 10 May 1989 River Loxley 500 British Coal 26 May 1989 River Dearne 1,000 South Yorkshire County Council 13 March 1979 Firsby Brook 200 National Coal Board 28 February 1980 Blackingmill Dike 200 British Coal 1 June 1989 Woodlands Lake 600 Dale Farm Dairy Products 26 August 1988 Roundwood Brook 500 9 September 1988 Roundwood Brook 500 7 September 1988 Roundwood Brook 500 5 September 1988 Roundwood Brook 500
(b) Prosecutions for Pollution of the Rother and its Tributaries (brought by the former Yorkshire Water Authority): Name of offender Date of offence Watercourse Fine(s) imposed (£s) British Steel Orgreave 15 April 1981 River Rother 200 8 May 1981 River Rother 200 8 June 1981 River Rother 200 Glass Bulbs Ltd. 4 November 1981 River Rother 150 J. M. Whitaker/W. Rogers 7 June 1982 River Drone 300 14 July 1982 River Drone 300 Northern Mining Strip 28 March 1983 River Rother 125 Bradway Farms 20 September 1984 River Drone 750 1 November 1985 River Drone 1,000 15 November 1985 River Drone 1,000 25 June 1987 River Drone 1,500 Transorganics Ltd. 28 February 1985 Hooton Brook 1800 Raymin Northern Ltd. 31 July 1986 River Drone 200 Chesterfield Cylinders 16 August 1988 River Rother 1,000 23 August 1988 River Rother 1,000 British Steel Orgreave 5 July 1988 Handsworth Brook 1,000 Coalite Fuels and Chemicals 3 April 1989 River Doe Lea 1,500 1 2 offences
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the companies currently given deemed consent to pollute(a) the river Don and (b) the river Rother, stating what pollutants they are empowered to discharge; and on what scale.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryI understand from the National Rivers Authority that the following two companies have deemed consents originally issued under the terms of part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, to discharge minewater:
- (a) into the river Don and its tributaries—British Coal Corporation.
360 - (b) into the river Rother and its tributaries—British Coal Corporation; Moorside Mining Company Limited.
Deemed consents were issued under transitional provisions for bringing many discharges which had not required consent under earlier legislation into the regulatory control system for the first time. As they are progressively reviewed by the National Rivers Authority, deemed consents are being revoked and where appropriate, replaced by a full, conditional consent granted under the Water Act 1989.
361WThe particulars of these consents are held on the register maintained by the Yorkshire region of the National Rivers Authority which is available for inspection by the public during normal office hours.