River Witham: Omex to maintain polluted river for decade
BBCAn agricultural company that polluted a Lincolnshire river has been ordered to take a range of environmental actions to help its recovery.
Ammonia was released into the River Witham in 2018, causing the worst river pollution recorded in the county.
The company responsible, Omex Agriculture Limited, must help the river and its surroundings with various habitat improvements.
Omex said it "deeply" regretted the pollution incident.
The company would "continue to fully cooperate with the regulators", it added.
Ammonia affected the river and its ecosystems, killing at least 100,000 fish on a stretch from Bardney, near Lincoln, to the Wash in March 2018.
Omex must make the changes and maintain them over the next decade, said the Environment Agency (EA).
It should include fish refuges and help them to shelter, spawn and feed close to the edges of the river.
The company must also create more backwaters - calm, still areas - by spring 2022.
It must also check if fish numbers recover or whether more restocking is needed for a healthy river.
Thomas Enright, of the EA said: "This is a prime example of how we can hold a polluter to account while also keeping the environment at the heart of what we do."
The river was restocked with more than 1.5 million fish larvae and 70,000 roach and bream.
The company has been given a remediation notice under the Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2015.
It is only the second time this legislation has been used and Omex can appeal, according to the EA.
A separate investigation into the circumstances has finished and court proceedings have started, added the EA.
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