Walsall Council issues update on toxic chemical spillage in Pleck canal a month on
An update on a toxic spillage which saw thousands of litres of chemicals enter a Midlands canal last month has been issued by a council. The spillage, which involved sodium and zinc cyanide and other ‘low-hazard’chemicals get into a canal in Pleck in Walsall on Monday, August 12, led to fish dying and a large section of the canal network across Walsall into West Bromwich and Perry Barr in Birmingham being cordoned off.
A month after the incident Walsall Council has issued an update where a section of towpaths and the Walsall Canal through Pleck remains closed from Bentley Mill Way to Pleck Road,. It said while the canal towpath will ‘reopen in the near future’ the canal itself will remain closed ‘until the likely contamination of silt in the bottom of the canal is addressed’
The spill came from metal finishing firm, Anochrome Ltd, based in Reservoir Place next to the Walsall Canal. The local authority said it ‘continues to work closely with the Environment Agency, the Canal & River Trust, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and other partners’ with the former leading the investigation into how the spill happened.
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The council said aeration of the canal has been ‘successful’. It said sediment sampling continues whilst a ‘full remediation plan’ is being developed.
It continued: “Once that plan is finalised, we will look at next steps and timelines for the reopening of that section of the canal. Two drop-in sessions for local businesses and residents have been held over the last fortnight where council officers have been joined by colleagues from the Canal & River Trust.
“Local, regional and national agencies are working together to minimise the potential risk to health following the spillage. Our priority continues to be the safety of our residents and canal users.”
The council has updated a frequently asked questions section about the spillage. It confirmed a 12-mile stretch of the canal and towpaths were initially cordoned off ‘to order to avoid potential health risks to the public and to their pets’.
That was then reduced to just over half-a-mile with a section of the canal in Pleck, pictured on a map, still closed. In an update on the current situation the council said: “Laboratory testing of the canal water conducted by the Environment Agency allowed us to reduce the restricted length of the canal to just over half a mile.
“Temporary dams were installed at each end of the restricted red zone of the canal, but with water testing showing that levels of pollution had reduced to within public health limits, these were removed on 28 August 2024.
“Thorough testing of the water along the canal has taken place. Levels of cyanide have fallen and are now within public health guidelines. Attention has now turned to the full recovery of the canal, including the impact on wildlife.
“Whilst the canal towpath is likely to reopen in the near future, the canal through the impacted stretch will remain closed to navigation until the likely contamination of silt in the bottom of the canal is addressed.”
Read more: I visited area at centre of spillage and the problems are much worse than feared
The Canal & River Trust has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help raise some of the funds to pay for its response to the spill. Walsall Council said: “As a charity, they will also be seeking to recover, via the Environment Agency’s investigation and action, the much-needed funds that have gone into responding to the initial emergency and the ongoing recovery of the canal.
Anyone who feels unwell after being along the affected stretch of canal is urged to call 111 or 999 in an emergency. Symptoms of sodium and zinc cyanide exposure include a headache, nausea, dizziness, nervousness, confusion, changes in heart rate and drowsiness. There may be a delay in the onset of symptoms following contact with the skin.
The council added: “The sodium cyanide that went into the Walsall Canal was diluted by the canal water, so you are very unlikely to experience symptoms.”
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Now the affected section of canal is cordoned off. Anyone who goes into the canal in that section is urged to ‘wash themselves in lots of water’ and their clothes. A splash is ‘extremely unlikely’ to cause symptoms. Even swimming in the canal or falling in means it is ‘unlikely’ to cause illness. With any pets coming into contact with the water, owners are advised to seek a vet’s advice.
It is illegal go fishing and remove fish and eat them from the canal unless ‘where required under the Wildlife & Countryside Act’. Walsall Council said: “We would strongly recommend that you do not consume anything that you have caught in the canal.”
A number of fish died as a result of the spill. Walsall Council said: “The aquatic ecosystem/food chain may have been devastated or lost for the section the pollution has passed through, from the smallest invertebrates right up to the otter that has a territory through that section. Without natural balance, invasives and algae will quickly take over: the impacts could take years to fully recover.”
Responding earlier to the incident a spokesperson for Anochrome Ltd said: "We can confirm that a chemical incident occurred at Anochrome Ltd Walsall in the early hours of Monday, 12 August 2024. Regrettably, as a result, some of the released chemicals entered a canal in Walsall.
“Our immediate response was to notify the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water. Our senior management team were on-site working collaboratively with all relevant authorities and agencies to minimise and contain the spill. In addition, from the moment we were aware of the incident, we have made all our facilities available to the authorities and agencies in attendance, including inhouse laboratory testing facilities.
"The safety of our community and the environment is our top priority. We are focused on limiting the impact of this incident and will provide further updates as they become available."