By Tim Greenfield
GENEROUS people have donated over £22,000 to help the clean-up of the Walsall Canal following a leak of deadly sodium cyanide into the waterway.
The Canal and River Trust (CRT) launched the fund, which stood at £22,480 at time of printing, after the closure of the canal following the leak of 4000 litres of sodium cyanide on August 12.
The Environment Agency is working with multiple agencies in the West Midlands to treat the toxic leak in a long stretch of the waterway, but it has now been downgraded from a major incident.
Recent testing has revealed that the levels of cyanide have dropped to a safe level but there will be months of remedial work to come, including dredging.
The CRT launched the crowdfunder to pay for immediate action while an Environment Agency investigation, which may take months, takes place.
Henriette Breukelaar, regional director at the CRT, said: “The chemical spill has been extremely distressing, and has caused great harm to local wildlife. We know that so many people share our outrage at what happened and will want to help the response.
“Of course, the company responsible should pay, but the timing and outcome of the investigation by the Environment Agency is uncertain, and we must act now to protect nature as best we can.
“Our canals matter, not only to the local communities but to everyone else as well – because canals enhance the natural environment, they help to mitigate climate change, and they are integral to our future water security and supply. Events like this highlight how vulnerable they can be, and how important it is that they are properly protected.”
Around 90kg of dead fish were removed immediately following the spill.
Following the latest results from daily water testing conducted by the EA, previously closed sections of the canal have now been reopened to the public, with water quality found to meet public health guidelines. The affected section of the canal will remain closed to boaters.
The restricted section of canal has been reduced from around 12km to 1km, where elevated levels of sodium cyanide and zinc cyanide have been found. This area, stretching from James Bridge on Bentley Mill Way in Darlaston to the west to Rollingmill Street, Walsall to the east, will remain closed until further notice.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We are continuing to work closely with Walsall Council, the UK Health Security Agency and other partners to respond to the serious chemical spill incident in Walsall and to assess the impact on the environment.
“We are currently investigating the company that is believed to have caused this incident. Pollution of this kind is unacceptable and the impact on wildlife and the environment can be severe. We will take robust enforcement action if non-compliance is uncovered.
“As a result of our ongoing sampling and testing programme, the cordon restricting access to the canal has now been reduced. We urge the public to continue to follow safety advice given by the local council.”
The CRT says all donations will go directly to supporting this work, making it a tangible way that people can act to show their support.
Paul Wilkinson, senior ecologist at the CRT, said: “The spillage has been contained to a relatively small area, but the impact on wildlife remains to be seen. Fish in the affected area have been killed and other wildlife in the area may have been affected.
“Sadly, we expect the aquatic ecosystem will 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.
“This is possibly our last recorded location of water voles on our waterways within the Birmingham and Black Country region from our 2022 citizen science surveys. Without natural balance, invasives and algae will quickly take over: The impacts could take years to fully recover.
“The crowdfunding campaign will directly support wildlife recovery efforts in the area in the coming months alongside our continuing clean-up work.
“All the donations to this crowdfunder will be gratefully received and will make an immediate difference in the immediate clean up, helping us start to repair the damage.”
If you would like to contribute to the crowdfunder, please visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/walsallspill
