Construction company Winvic has been fined for polluting a brook at the vast East Midlands Gateway site on the Leicestershire/Derbyshire border.
The Environment Agency said the construction giant was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £25,500 after admitting responsibility for the breach back in 2019.
It said Winvic Construction Limited, based in Moulton Park, Northampton, was working on the giant warehouse hub just off junction 24 of the M1, when run-off contaminated with clay caused “gross and chronic” pollution to Hemington Brook. There had been “unprecedented rainfall” at the time.
Wildlife in the brook was affected as a result of lower oxygen levels, according to the government body.
It said a member of the public got in touch when the brook started “running red with silt pollution” at the end of September 2019. The source was traced to an outfall near the development site which was the responsibility of the company.
The Environment Agency said staff told its officers a drain blocker had failed, allowing the contaminated contents of two ponds to drain into the brook.
In a statement the agency said: “High levels of suspended solids in water inhibit plant photosynthesis and lower oxygen levels.
“Solids can clog and irritate fish gills, further increasing stress. They can also smother fish spawning areas and invertebrate habitat.”
Ian Firkins, senior environment manager for the Environment Agency’s East Midlands Area, said: “We welcome this sentence which should act as a deterrent to other companies who breach environmental legislation.
“As a regulator, the Environment Agency will not hesitate to pursue companies that fail to meet its obligations to the environment.
“The conditions of an environmental permit are designed to protect people and the environment.
“Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment and harm human health.”
