Latest news with #JoBradley
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Thousands of river pollution tests cancelled because of staff shortages
Thousands of water tests to identify potential harmful pollution in rivers, lakes and estuaries in England have been cancelled in the last three months due to staff shortages, the BBC has learned. The Environment Agency confirmed the cancellations after campaigners showed us internal emails and documents with plans for extensive cuts to monitoring programmes. The cancelled tests are for so-called inorganic pollutants - substances such as nitrates and phosphates that can indicate sewage or agricultural pollution. The EA says its testing programme "remains robust" but this week a landmark report said it had "struggled to effectively oversee and manage the water system". In the three months from May to July the water regulator says that 10,000 scheduled tests at its main laboratory at Starcross in Devon did not take place due to staff shortages. Others were combined with other tests or postponed in what the EA says was an "optimisation" process. The Environment Agency said seven national inorganic testing programmes had been completely "paused". They include programmes that track chemical pollution in rivers, lakes and estuaries as well as one that monitors the regulator's plans for dealing with drought. Jo Bradley, who worked at the Environment Agency's water quality team for more than 20 years, told the BBC: "Some inorganic substances, such as copper and zinc, are directly toxic to aquatic organisms, including fish and insects," "Others, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, are nutrients and they can affect river health when they are present in high quantities. "These substances must be tested routinely, at many hundreds of locations, so that we can see trends in river chemistry and quickly identify problems." The EA said it "paused" 17.5% of its inorganic testing at the Starcross Laboratory from May to July. Over the entire year it said it was expecting to operate at 15% below capacity. A spokesperson blamed the reduction in tests on "fluctuations in staffing capacity" and could not say when the laboratory would be working at full capacity again. Five key takeaways from the landmark water sector review Serious water pollution incidents up 60% in England, Environment Agency says Sewage discharges to halve by 2030, minister pledges Staffing problems are nothing new at the EA. In 2023 its chairman Alan Lovell told parliament that it had "struggled with recruitment and retention of staff". Internal emails obtained by campaign groups Greenpeace and Desmog through freedom of information requests were shared with the BBC. They show EA officials discussing the impact of staff departures on testing and saying that others planned to leave. One senior official, writing an email to her colleagues, said it was "not good news I'm afraid" adding "this isn't where we want to be (again)". Helen Nightingale, who worked at the Environment Agency as a catchment planner, analysing data from its water quality programme until 2022, says that while she was there she saw a shift of focus away from serious investigation to trying to find "successes". She also said that morale was low: "The pay is not great – we didn't have pay rises for years due to austerity, "But a lot people are in it [the EA] because they want to make a difference – and when you're not even getting that - well, what's the point?" Documents seen by the BBC show that the work affected by the cuts to testing this year included investigations into the water industry in various parts of the country, and monitoring of protected areas including the River Wye, which is currently facing a pollution crisis linked to intensive chicken farming. Stuart Singleton White from the Angling Trust which has been running its own citizen scientist testing programme., said: "This spring, while the EA cut 10,000 water samples, our Water Quality Monitoring Network collected its 10,000th. "Our latest annual report showed that 34% of sites breached "good ecological status" for phosphate, and 45% showed signs of nitrate pollution. Pollution is out of control, and extensive testing is key to addressing the problem." Singer-turned-campaigner Feargal Sharkey said the cancelled tests are further confirmation of the EA's limitations. "When is a regulator not a regulator? When it's the Environment Agency," Mr Sharkey told the BBC. "With impeccable timing the Environment Agency reminds us all of exactly why they to should be added to Sir Jon Cunliffe's bonfire of the quangos [the Water Commission]. Institutionally incompetent, complacent and discredited." This week, Sir Jon recommended that a single water regulator be created, with the EA handing over responsibility for monitoring water pollution. A spokesperson for the EA said: "We are committed to protecting the environment and water quality testing remains a top priority having received an extra £8m in funding." "Our water quality testing programme remains robust and prioritised on the basis of need - only a small proportion of tests were impacted by this issue, with no impact on pollution incidents and bathing water testing."
BBC News
6 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Thousands of pollution tests cancelled due to lack of staff
Thousands of water tests to identify potential harmful pollution in rivers, lakes and estuaries in England have been cancelled in the last three months due to staff shortages, the BBC has Environment Agency confirmed the cancellations after campaigners showed us internal emails and documents with plans for extensive cuts to monitoring cancelled tests are for so-called inorganic pollutants - substances such as nitrates and phosphates that can indicate sewage or agricultural EA says its testing programme "remains robust" but this week a landmark report said it had "struggled to effectively oversee and manage the water system". In the three months from May to July the water regulator says that 10,000 scheduled tests at its main laboratory at Starcross in Devon did not take place due to staff were combined with other tests or postponed in what the EA says was an "optimisation" Environment Agency said seven national inorganic testing programmes had been completely "paused". They include programmes that track chemical pollution in rivers, lakes and estuaries as well as one that monitors the regulator's plans for dealing with drought. Jo Bradley, who worked at the Environment Agency's water quality team for more than 20 years, told the BBC: "Some inorganic substances, such as copper and zinc, are directly toxic to aquatic organisms, including fish and insects," "Others, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, are nutrients and they can affect river health when they are present in high quantities. "These substances must be tested routinely, at many hundreds of locations, so that we can see trends in river chemistry and quickly identify problems."The EA said it "paused" 17.5% of its inorganic testing at the Starcross Laboratory from May to July. Over the entire year it said it was expecting to operate at 15% below capacity. A spokesperson blamed the reduction in tests on "fluctuations in staffing capacity" and could not say when the laboratory would be working at full capacity again. Staffing problems are nothing new at the EA. In 2023 its chairman Alan Lovell told parliament that it had "struggled with recruitment and retention of staff".Internal emails obtained by campaign groups Greenpeace and Desmog through freedom of information requests were shared with the BBC. They show EA officials discussing the impact of staff departures on testing and saying that others planned to senior official, writing an email to her colleagues, said it was "not good news I'm afraid" adding "this isn't where we want to be (again)".Helen Nightingale, who worked at the Environment Agency as a catchment planner, analysing data from its water quality programme until 2022, says that while she was there she saw a shift of focus away from serious investigation to trying to find "successes". She also said that morale was low: "The pay is not great – we didn't have pay rises for years due to austerity, "But a lot people are in it [the EA] because they want to make a difference – and when you're not even getting that - well, what's the point?"Documents seen by the BBC show that the work affected by the cuts to testing this year included investigations into the water industry in various parts of the country, and monitoring of protected areas including the River Wye, which is currently facing a pollution crisis linked to intensive chicken farming. Stuart Singleton White from the Angling Trust which has been running its own citizen scientist testing programme., said: "This spring, while the EA cut 10,000 water samples, our Water Quality Monitoring Network collected its 10,000th."Our latest annual report showed that 34% of sites breached "good ecological status" for phosphate, and 45% showed signs of nitrate pollution. Pollution is out of control, and extensive testing is key to addressing the problem." Singer-turned-campaigner Feargal Sharkey said the cancelled tests are further confirmation of the EA's limitations. "When is a regulator not a regulator? When it's the Environment Agency," Mr Sharkey told the BBC. "With impeccable timing the Environment Agency reminds us all of exactly why they to should be added to Sir Jon Cunliffe's bonfire of the quangos [the Water Commission]. Institutionally incompetent, complacent and discredited."This week, Sir Jon recommended that a single water regulator be created, with the EA handing over responsibility for monitoring water pollution. A spokesperson for the EA said: "We are committed to protecting the environment and water quality testing remains a top priority having received an extra £8m in funding.""Our water quality testing programme remains robust and prioritised on the basis of need - only a small proportion of tests were impacted by this issue, with no impact on pollution incidents and bathing water testing."
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Investigation reveals concerning fact about highway authority: 'Unfortunately, this seems to be a low priority'
A citizen's request to access information related to the inspection of runoff ponds and other interceptors, including gullies, alongside motorways in the United Kingdom revealed a concerning gap in coverage — raising fears of toxic contamination. The New Civil Engineer reported in February that a member of the public obtained access to National Highways data under the Freedom of Information Act, which guarantees the right to see information held by public authorities upon request. They relayed their findings to NCE. The information revealed seven Greater Manchester interceptors around motorways hadn't been inspected or maintained since 2007 despite the fact that separator systems are ideally serviced at least every six months, per environmental consultancy Adler & Allan. "Although this isn't a mandatory standard in the U.K., it is recognized good practice and should be reflected in National Highways' own maintenance schedules," said Jo Bradley, director of operations at the nonprofit Stormwater Shepherds, which aims to ensure future generations have access to clean water. All in all, records showed that 37 interceptors in Rochdale, Manchester, Bury, Tameside, Stockport, and Trafford hadn't been inspected or cleaned since at least 2018. Interceptors collect road runoff such as fuel, oil, brake fluid, pieces of tires, and elements from deteriorating road surfaces. When they don't receive proper maintenance, hazardous materials — including microplastics from tires — can build up before making their way into crucial streams, rivers, and other waterways that serve the general public. "It's increasingly clear that … our rivers and waters courses are also in a poor state due to pollution flowing off the nation's roads and verges," said Friends of the Earth nature campaigner Paul de Zylva. "... Over time, these pollutants get blown and washed into rivers and waterways near to roads, where they're carried far and wide. Unfortunately, this seems to be a low priority for our highways authorities and the Environment Agency, as the lack of inspections reflect." For its part, when it responded to the request for data, National Highways asserted that "the runoff ponds with inspections dating between 2007-2012 are likely to have been inspected since, but our records are unable to verify this," per NCE. Would you want a garden that can take care of itself? Sign me up Depends on the price No — that ruins the fun I don't like gardening Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. However, Bradley told the outlet that a visit to several interceptors along junctions 6 and 7 on M60 appeared to tell a different story. "You know that they haven't been emptied for 15 years; we can see that because we can see that the trees have grown up around the manholes and around the device," Bradley said. A National Highways spokesperson told NCE that the agency is "committed to improving water quality" and aiming to "address all our high-risk outfalls by 2030," with annual inspections on interceptors for 2025-26 and reactive maintenance. If it successfully executes the plan, it would move the needle in a positive direction, even if it doesn't fulfill the ideal six-month mark. As a technical partner, professional services consultancy WSP will work closely with National Highways and other program partners Mott Macdonald, Ramboll, and AECOM to verify high-risk assets and develop a strategy to mitigate risks and improve water quality as well as protect vulnerable wildlife that depend on the area's natural resources for survival. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
