‘The polluter pays’ - Environment Agency pledges investigation into River Tyne plastic pellet spill
The Environment Agency has pledged to carry out “a thorough investigation” into plastic pellets spilling into the River Tyne.
As the operation to clean up more than one billion plastic pellets from River Tyne and North Sea continues, the Environment Agency has stated that “the polluter pays”.
It is estimated that more than 25 tonnes of plastic pellets, known as ‘nurdles’, have been spilled into the River Tyne following a ship collision at the Port of Tyne on Sunday, July 19.
Fidra, an environmental charity that specialises in plastic pollution, has told the Shields Gazette that around 25 tonnes equates to more than one billion plastic pellets, which are the raw material used for manufacturing plastics.
‘The polluter pays’
The Environment Agency has vowed to carry out a “thorough investigation” to establish the circumstances surrounding the nurdle spill and has pledged that the “polluter pays” principle will see those responsible covering the cost of the clean up operation.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "The North East coastline is one of the region's greatest assets, and we are deeply concerned by the significant amounts of plastic nurdles continuing to wash up on our Tyneside beaches.
"Our role is to provide expert technical advice on the environmental impacts of the incident and the most appropriate methods for recovering the pellets while minimising harm to people, wildlife and the wider environment.
“North Tyneside and South Tyneside councils are responsible for determining how the beach clean-ups are carried out.
"Under the 'polluter pays' principle, those responsible for the pollution are responsible for the costs of the clean-up.
“We will carry out a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident to establish the facts and consider whether any regulatory action is appropriate.”
South Tyneside Council has previously confirmed that it will be looking to recover the costs of the clean up operation from the insurers of those responsible for the spill.
Risk to the public remains low
The Environment Agency has also reiterated that the risk to public health remains low but that dogs should continue to be kept on leads in affected areas.
The spokesperson added: "Although the public health risk remains low, the council advise residents and visitors not to handle any plastic pellets they may find.
“While the pellets are not considered toxic, they can pose a risk to wildlife if ingested and specialist recovery methods are needed to maximise the effectiveness of the clean-up while minimising further environmental harm.
“Please keep dogs on leads in affected areas and continue to follow advice from local authorities.
"We are working hard with the council and other partners to support the multi-agency response and will continue to assess the environmental impacts of the spill, provide technical advice and share updates as the situation develops."
Working to prevent further spills
The Port of Tyne has confirmed that it is currently working to prevent any further spills and has deployed boats on the River Tyne to remove the nurdles from the water.
The South Tyneside Green Party has branded the spill as a “disaster” and has called for urgent Government intervention following the spill as the pellets continue to wash up on beaches in North and South Tyneside.