A ‘poor’ response to concerns says Rasen area farmer

A farmer has hit back at claims ‘no recent reports of pollution or incorrectly stored slurry’ have been made over land in Ludford.
Farmer Gordon Stanley near the heapFarmer Gordon Stanley near the heap
Farmer Gordon Stanley near the heap

In the Rasen Mail of April 8, Gordon Stanley voiced his concerns over a sewage heap placed on farm land near his home in Sixhills Lane.

Mr Stanley was particularly concerned seepage from the heap could contaminate a nearby water course.

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However, the statement issued by the Environment Agency (EA) in the report left Mr Stanley dismayed.

He said: “They (EA) stated they have not received any recent reports of pollution or incorrectly stored slurry in the Ludford area, and go on to say if people want to report suspected pollution they can do so on their 24-hour incident hotline.

“When I first reported my concerns to the Environment Agency at Lincoln, they said they would look into it and call me back.

“I called back after a week as I hadn’t heard anything and they said they needed more time and would reply within the next week.

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“Not the response I was expecting to the possible pollution of the River Bain.

“When I did get a call from them, I was told there was no need to worry as liquid from the heap will not travel far because there are no hills in Lincolnshire; no liquid will reach the River Bain.

“When I asked if he had visited the site he said no.

“My view of the Environment Agency response to my concerns over possible pollution of a local river can only be described as very poor.”

The Rasen Mail passed on Mr Stanley’s reaction to the EA.

In response, a spokesman said: “We can confirm we received reports about the deposit last November and, when our officers investigated, we found it to be compliant with regulations. There was no evidence of a risk of pollution.

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“We discussed our findings with the farmer who made the initial reports and encouraged him to report further concerns to us, but have had no further reports since December.”

Mr Stanley issued an invitation to the Environment Agency, Nutri-bio (who deposited the heap), and Anglian Water to hold a public meeting to discuss his concerns - and any other people who may have questions to ask, regarding sewage sludge use in agriculture.

The EA spokesman added: “This is not something we would do because this is not a partnership project; we are the regulatory authority, so it doesn’t fit within our remit.

“However, we take all reports of pollution seriously and would encourage people to report concerns to us on our 24-hour incident hotline by calling 0800 80 70 60 so we can investigate.”

and take the needed action.”