River spill firm has fine reduced
19/02/2010
A utilities company that mistakenly released chemicals into a Surrey river has had its £125,000 fine reduced.
Thames Water Utilities was landed with the fine after it admitted polluting the River Wandle at Sutton Magistrates' Court.
However, the Court of Appeal reduced the fine to £50,000 after declaring that the original figure - imposed last January - was excessive.
At least 7,000 fish were killed when the bleach Sodium hypochlorite leaked into the river while the firm was doing cleaning work at Beddington sewage treatment works. The immediate environment was devastated in the September 2007 incident.
Howard McCann, prosecuting on behalf of the Environment Agency, told Croydon Crown Court it received complaints from residents and anglers that on the afternoon of September 17, the river water had turned a milky white and many fish "were dying or in distress".
The original fine was imposed by Croydon Crown Court.
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