Risk news

A toiletries and beauty products manufacturer has been hit with a fine after it polluted a water source, killing around 1,000 fish.

Broadoak Toiletries Ltd, of Tiverton Way, Tiverton, was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £4,196 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 85 (1) of the Water Resources Act.

The incident occurred after a tanker lorry delivered Sodium Lauryl Ethoxy Sulphate to the firm. While the detergent was being pumped from the truck into a storage tank, an employee shouted at the driver that it was approaching capacity.

However, the driver failed to hear the instruction and continued the pumping, which resulted in the tank being overfilled and the detergent leaking out.

Subsequent heavy rain caused it to be washed into the River Lowman via surface water drains.

Earlier this month, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency warned businesses which keep chemicals on their premises never to dispose of them in drains of this type.

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