CRT cover up?

[Tim Lewis]

On 01/10/2019 at 13:00, dor said:

On the BBC website today:      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-49880839

 

"The Canal and River Trust has been accused of a cover-up after it released heavily-censored reports about a dam which partially collapsed. "

 

 

According to a Tweet from Waterways World today it was the Environment Agency that redacted the report!

 

[Allan(nb Albert)]

2 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

According to a Tweet from Waterways World today it was the Environment Agency that redacted the report!

 

Someone might have made a request to the Environment Agency who, as regulator under the 1975 Waterways Act, would hold a copy of the Inspecting Engineers Report. If they did, it does not seem to be in the public domain.

My request was to C&RT, who after delaying more than the 20 man days allowed  and being told by the Information Commissioner that they must respond produced the heavily redacted report I have already linked to. The information request and response are in the public domain as is the reason given for redaction and why, in C&RT's view the public interest lies in heavy redaction.

[Heartland]

The report, has an incorrect date for the dam construction, which was given in the RCHS published book on the Peak Forest Canal. 1841 was the final completion date as published in that book.

 

With regard to the emergency, I have been told that when the reservoir was drained it was found that there was a deep silt deposit up to the dam wall. Those who have seen it have questioned whether there was a danger of collapse! 

[ditchcrawler]

On 02/10/2019 at 17:09, furnessvale said:

Following the Uffley (spelling?) dam breach some years ago all dams with a capacity above 25000cu m were reviewed.

 

It is my understanding (although to be fair finding the exact legislation is proving difficult) that, following Uffley, all such dams had a requirement that they should be capable of drawing down one third of capacity in 3 days to relieve pressure.

 

Again it is my understanding that the dams at Combs and Toddbrook were modified around 2009 to allow this.  Following this, they were then permitted to reuse the full dam capacity which had previously been restricted.

 

George

That could be why they did the work on the outlet vale to the Hurleston reservoir last year