Pollution Probed as 2,000 Fish Die in River Pont

INVESTIGATIONS are being carried out after almost 2,000 fish were killed in a pollution incident on a stretch of river in Northumberland.

The incident – described as serious by pollution watchdog the Environment Agency – resulted in almost all the fish dying along about 11km of the River Pont between Ponteland and Matfen. It was reported a month ago by a passer-by who spotted dead fish floating in the water, although it is believed the poisoning happened a few days earlier.

Checks by the agency at its routine sampling point on the Pont near Stamfordham revealed very high levels of ammonia in the river.

Ammonia is commonly used in fertilisers and an investigation is now being carried out by the agency in a bid to discover who was responsible.

The incident, which the agency believes was accidental, killed almost 2,000 fish ranging from brown trout to stickleback, although invertebrates in the river were unaffected.

Yesterday an agency spokesman said the river would be re-stocked with fish next summer, after efforts are made to raise awareness of the pollution risks posed by careless discharges. He said: “This incident was a serious case of pollution and was reported to us on Thursday October 22, although we believe it happened earlier that week. “Water samples showed a very high level of ammonia in the river during that week, but because the incident happened a few days previously we have not yet been able to trace the source of the discharge. “We are looking at all possible sources in that area and also talking to landowners, businesses and anyone who might know something about this, to raise awareness of what careless actions can lead to.

“We are looking to re-stock the river next summer, but we must ensure we have done as much as possible to prevent similar incidents from happening again. We are very keen to hear from any members of the public, in confidence, who might know about this. “We believe, and hope, that this has probably been accidental, and someone has managed to discharge quite a large quantity of ammonia into the river.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the agency's incident hotline on 0800 807060.
In August 2006 an estimated 2,000 endangered white-clawed crayfish died after farm silage and slurry leached into the Robsheugh Burn, a tributary of the Pont, during heavy rainfall. Hundreds of fish also died.

Source: Journal Live

New £20,000 Pump to Reduce Ponteland Flood Risk

Residents from Ponteland are to receive a new £32,000 pump for the town which will be used to reduce the risk of flooding to homes and businesses during an emergency.

The pump has been bought by funding from the Local Levy, which is raised from local authorities across the region to tackle small-scale flood projects, and is managed by the Environment Agency,

The equipment will be kept at Ponteland Fire Station and is part of a £80,000 package of measures which the levy fund and the Environment Agency has put together for the town.

Levy project coordinator Bob Carrick said: "This is good news for Ponteland.

"We can never stop flooding altogether but we can help to reduce the likelihood of it happening.

"We have trained Ponteland's firefighters to use the pump and it is being stored at their station so that both they and the Environment Agency can use it during an emergency.

"These community schemes are important to the Local Levy team. Everyone has a role in helping to reduce the risk of flooding and we need to work together to get the maximum benefit for residents.

"Our projects are about helping people in the community to take steps to protect themselves against the increasing risk of flooding."

The pump has a six inch nozzle and can pump 25 metres3 of water per hour.

Other measures for Ponteland include raising the flood banks on Callerton Burn and the Fairney Burn after the banks were overtopped during the flooding in September 2008. Environment Agency staff will also carry out some channel maintenance on Callerton Burn.

Flood defence measures are also being improved at Athol House nursing home, Callerton Lane, which has 30 elderly residents, two of whom had to be helped to safety during last September's floods.

The work includes helping to protect the home against shallow floodwaters which can cause problems for residents who have difficulty walking.

The work had to take into account the appearance of the home's award-winning gardens, and the materials used were selected after discussion with the residents and the home owners.

As a result, timber railway sleepers have been laid along the 100-metre length of the hedge alongside the home, which is close to Callerton Burn.

The Local Levy is raised by the Environment Agency's Northumbria Regional Flood Defence Committee from local authorities in the North East and is used to fund projects.
Source: News Post Leader

Ponteland Floods September 2008

Video of the horrendous floods of September 2008 and the helicopter rescue in Ponteland Park can be seen at Ponteland Online