Environmental regulators have brought several criminal charges against an airport accused of polluting the third-longest river in the UK with de-icer that is used on planes.
Derby Railway Angling Club campaigned for years on the matter following the River Trent’s and the Diseworth Brook’s worsening ecology because of the pollutant from East Midlands Airport (EMA)
Gary Cyster, of Derby Railway Angling Club said: “I’m sure many people wouldn’t associate an airport with river pollution. But I have seen firsthand, over a long period, how a failure to properly treat water contaminated with chemicals sprayed on planes and runways in cold weather can seriously damage the ecology of local streams and rivers.
He added: “It’s been a very long time coming, but hopefully this criminal prosecution will force the owners of EMA Ltd to start taking their responsibilities to the environment and the local community seriously.”
De-icing chemicals are sprayed as a safety measure on planes before take-off when snow, ice or frost has accumulated on the aircraft.
EMA Ltd is legally required to comply with an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency for discharges of contaminated drainage water and provide data to the regulator to assess the impact of pollution coming from the airport on river water quality.
The charges relate to allegedly causing a water discharge activity and alleged failures to comply with an environmental permit between 2021 and 2022. The first hearing has taken place at Derby Magistrates Court.
Legal action will heap pressure on the airport’s managing director Steve Griffiths, who has been the boss at the airport since October 2022.
EMA is owned by Manchester Airport Group (MAG), whose chief executive is Ken O’Toole.
Geoff Hardy, a solicitor at Fish Legal which represents the angling club, said: “We welcome this action by the Environment Agency, which sends a strong message to the owners of EMA that they can’t continue to run the operation of this profitable and expanding airport at the cost of the health of local rivers and wildlife.
“We are also heartened to see that in this case, the regulator has investigated the chronic pollution taking place and has taken tough enforcement action.”
Members of the Derby Railway Angling Club have witnessed and reported fungus that thrives in low oxygen conditions covering the riverbed downstream of EMA’s discharge point each winter.
The angling club, working with Fish Legal, has been seeking revisions to the permit held by EMA to better control emissions of polluting de-icers into nearby rivers.
Fish Legal previously told the Express how other airports in the same business group have installed modern collection and treatment measures to prevent the pollutant from entering waterways, whereas it claims that EMA has not.
The airport has this week announced an investment programme worth £120 million.
EMA is the largest freight airport in the UK with plans to double passenger numbers to 10 million and treble levels of freight to one million tons by around 2030 to 2035.
A spokesman for EMA said: “We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and work closely with the Environment Agency on the operation of our water drainage system. We are unable to comment further due to ongoing proceedings.”
