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Toxic chemical spill in Walsall Canal

tree monkey

By tree monkey
in Waterways News & Press

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Cas446 Collaborator

Cas446

Posted
Posted

All lock flights in the area now closed under instruction of the EA.

 

I tortured myself by doing the Walsall canal yesterday - to now find out that I also survived potential cyanide posoining it will be a trip to remember and never repeat.

Heartland Veteran

Heartland

Posted
Posted (edited)

BBC News reported

People are being urged to avoid a stretch of a canal after a toxic chemical spilled into it.

The spillage was found on Monday in Pleck, Walsall, according to the local council who said the Environment Agency (EA) was first notified of it.

There was a potentially serious risk to people or their pet's health if they were exposed through direct physical contact with the water, officials added.

Access to the affected stretch, more than a mile of the canal between Spinks Bridge and Birchills Street Bridge, was closed.

The section of canal was also "contained" to reduce the harm to wildlife and the wider waterway, a council spokesperson said.

Anyone exposed to the water who felt unwell should seek medical advice through the NHS 111 service or dial 999 in an emergency, they added.

People were also told not eat any fish taken from the canal.

 

 

ogggy3gf.png

Edited by Heartland
Heartland Veteran

Heartland

Posted
Posted (edited)

This part of the forum seems to be suitable for discussion on this topic

 

Stating in another thread that many locks are closed in the Walsall Area through cyanide contamination suggests that people should steer clear of the district, whereas the toxic chemical threat has lead to the closure of 1 mile of canal on the Walsall Lock Flight.

 

Looking at the CRT website there is no mention of a stoppage yet even though the towpath has been shut of on the section concerned.

 

That there should be a note on their website is important, but then how often do they update their stoppage page.

Today the CRT talk about the 13 metre long and 6 metre high sculpture to be placed beside the Sheffield Canal

Evidently that is more important than the danger of poisoning!

 

 

 

Edited by Heartland
Heartland Veteran

Heartland

Posted
Posted

The latest news bulletins have now widened the area of this problem, it is becoming a serious issue

 

May be it should be decided where this topic should be then

hider Proficient

hider

Posted
Posted

Nothing new there then, it was like that 160 years ago. It was black water, full of contamination from metal industries, slaughter houses and human waste, the Styx as it was known.

Cas446 Collaborator

Cas446

Posted
Posted

Latest is that the EA have taken water samples that will be analysed overnight. If they show sufficient dilution then the locks will be opened in the morning.

springy Rising Star

springy

Posted
Posted

Item on Midlands Today 10 mins ago showed pictures of many dead fish. Spillage in the Pleck area of Walsall. All of Walsall level closed - Ryders Green Locks - Walsall locks - Rushall Locks - Perry Barr Locks

 

springy

  • Greenie 1
Quatre_Bougies Engager

Quatre_Bougies

Posted
Posted

I switched over to West Mid News, it was on TV tonight.  It’s sodium Cyanide and it did show dead fish.  There are now Police stopping the idiots that can’t read, from walking the Canal.

 

It is an ongoing investigation.  You can probably see it on demand, if interested on IPlayer.

cuthound Veteran II

cuthound

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

If its cyanide why arent the canals covered in dead fish?

 

The film in the 1 o clock news showed hundreds of dead fish :(

 

Quatre_Bougies Engager

Quatre_Bougies

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Didn't Andy do a bit about that trade on one of his videos 2.3 MPH

 

Oh wow, that’s such an interesting read.  I wonder if a barrel, that wasn’t found has disintegrated?  Seems like such a coincidence.

 

springy Rising Star

springy

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, Quatre_Bougies said:

Oh wow, that’s such an interesting read.  I wonder if a barrel, that wasn’t found has disintegrated?  Seems like such a coincidence.

 

 

Unlikely, Chemical Arm and Oldbury is on the Old Main Line, roughly 10Km from the Pleck area of Walsall. The Pleck has quite a lot of industry including metal finishing (electroplating etc.) which are users of Cyanides (not suggesting that they are the source of the pollution but ..) Albright and Wilson were heavily into Phosphorous processing, nasty but quite different, though they may have been involved with other chemicals.

 

springy 

Quatre_Bougies Engager

Quatre_Bougies

Posted
Posted
Just now, springy said:

 

Unlikely, Chemical Arm and Oldbury is on the Old Main Line, roughly 10Km from the Pleck area of Walsall. The Pleck has quite a lot of industry including metal finishing (electroplating etc.) which are users of Cyanides (not suggesting that they are the source of the pollution but ..) Albright and Wilson were heavily into Phosphorous processing, nasty but quite different, though they may have been involved with other chemicals.

 

springy 

Cool, thanks . It will be interesting to see what they find out.

MrsM Experienced

MrsM

Posted
Posted (edited)

Now declared as a Major Incident, it's featured high up on the BBC News site (sorry if this has already been shared). A 12 mile stretch now affected. Terrible for all the birds, fish and animals dependent on the water. 

BBC News - Major incident declared after canal cyanide spill
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yk7nd8r9do

Edited by MrsM

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