Natural Resources Wales investigates pollution incident in River Sirhowy

Officers from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are investigating a pollution incident affecting the River Sirhowy at Tredegar, Newport.

NRW officers first attended the site on Sunday (27 March) after receiving reports of an oily sheen affecting approximately 300m of the water’s surface.

Water samples were taken, and a fishery assessment carried out, with officers confirming at the time, there were no signs of any dead fish or fish in distress.

Officers returned to site on Monday (28 March) to place absorbent booms and pads in the watercourse to help minimise any environmental impact.

Officers have since been able to identify the source of the pollution and confirm that leaks in the watercourse have ceased.

Kate Rodgers, Environment Team Leader for Natural Resources Wales said:

Protecting Wales’ waterways and the plants and animals that depend on them is a huge part of the work that we do, and we’re grateful to those who reported this pollution incident to us.

Our officers attended the site and began their investigations swiftly. We believe we have found the source and we’ll consider what action to take next, including any appropriate enforcement action to be taken against those responsible.

In the interests of people’s safety, whilst the clean-up operation is ongoing, we would ask people to avoid contact with the water and not allow any children or pets to enter the river.

We would encourage anyone to report signs of pollution to us on 0300 065 300, or via our website to ensure we can respond as swiftly as possible.