CLEAN UP OR PAY UP

The UK Government's Environment Agency is increasingly turning its attention to careless freight transport companies which pollute the environment. For example, a waste management company was recently fined #2000 when it polluted a stream with acid, because a plastic container of acid broke. Under the Groundwater Regulations, penalties for hauliers which pollute rivers or streams are up to #20,000 fine and up to three months in prison at a magistrates court, and an unlimited fine and up to two years in prison in a Crown court. Many thousands of pollution incidents occur in the UK per year, and most can be avoided by careful planning and simple precautions. For example, drums containing fuel and oil must be stored on an impermeable base. Methods for reducing the risk of pollution from a freight depot include: (1) having a full survey conducted before purchase of an existing depot; (2) asking an independent pollution control expert to assess the site; (3) seeking help from the local regional office of the Environmental Agency; and (4) (especially important) ensuring that surface water drains are separated from foul water drains, to prevent contaminated water from polluting local waterways.