§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made in cleaning up the River Don in South Yorkshire from the effects of polluted minewater; whether any fresh breakouts of minewater are causing the Environment Agency concern; and in particular what steps are being taken by the agency to tackle the recurring pollution in Cranberry Holes Brook and its threat to the fish in the River Don. [HL1303]
§ Lord WhittySince the Bullhouse Minewater Treatment Plant came into operation in September 1998 there have been significant improvements in the downstream chemical and biological quality of the River Don, and in the number of fish in the river. Around the time the plant was commissioned, a number of ochre-coloured seepages appeared in the Cranberry Holes Dyke, most likely caused by groundwater movements resulting from the presence of the minewater treatment lagoon. The agency is monitoring these seepages and, if necessary, the dyke will be assessed for treatment. The agency does not currently consider the seepage a significant threat to fish in the River Don.