Farmers blamed for pollution on a "huge scale"

[Steevo]

Just saw this on ITV Evening News. Only link I could find was Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...lution-breaches-increase-many-go-unprosecuted

 

[beefandsleep]

Let them eat cake.

 

[Poncherello1976]

Saw this as well. It was their second headline, after the Barcelona van driver. One sided report, nothing from the NFU.
Not surprised that it has made it in to the Guardian as well! Nothing on the BBC website, have not seen their news reports though. They showed some serious pollution of slurry pouring in to rivers and a tunnel full up with thousands of chicken carcasses, and said that none of these people responsible were prosecuted.
Another stick to beat farming with!

 

[Bruce Almighty]

On a positive side, they reported that the EA said that most farmers didn't pollute the environment

 

[suffolksmallholder]

There's a small of an agenda here. Thames water is just as bad polluting the river Thames with untreated sewage when inundated with heavy rainfall. Take the report with a pinch of salt....No that's not the right PC thing.....for salt, replace with sand
SS

 

[Yale]

That slurry pit in the pic certainly does not meet health and safety regs,where's the fence?

 

[Happy hillbily]

Remember watching a programme on something to do with underground London, the presenter was down in the sewers with someone from Thames water, the sewer they were in at the time was an overflow for the system, and in wet periods 50 cubic meters per second of raw sewage would flow down the overflow straight into the river Thames untreated !!!!!

 

[Tarw Coch]

Remember watching a programme on something to do with underground London, the presenter was down in the sewers with someone from Thames water, the sewer they were in at the time was an overflow for the system, and in wet periods 50 cubic meters per second of raw sewage would flow down the overflow straight into the river Thames untreated !!!!!

Yes, I believe the water companies are allowed to discharge up to half of raw sewage into water courses at times of high rainfall

 

[spin cycle]

quite a sympathetic piece i thought....putting pressure on prices as a factor in investment

concentrating livestock in mega farms is going to make things worse

i do think it's unfair on those who did invest in slurry/pollution control before 2014 that those that didn't seem to be getting away with it

 

[Tarw Coch]

quite a sympathetic piece i thought....putting pressure on prices as a factor in investment

concentrating livestock in mega farms is going to make things worse

i do think it's unfair on those who did invest in slurry/pollution control before 2014 that those that didn't seem to be getting away with it

Sorry, what's the significance of 2014?

 

[spin cycle]

Sorry, what's the significance of 2014?

2014 was supposed to be the implementation date of the EU water quality directive.....its all noroso members heard about until 2015 when all mention vanished.....since then the EU postponed it first until 2020....then to 2027 IIRC

 

[rob1]

Every single sewage works and pumping station has an outlet direct to a stream/river the only reason they get away with it is dilution from rainfall. doesnt excuse farming though but cant believe many do it deliberately we can all have an accident

 

[Clive]

cultivation is polution on a massive scale so some irony in this thread !!

 

[rob1]

so is motor racing or driving a big car when a little run around would do,or flying abroad, we all pollute

 

[Tarw Coch]

Every single sewage works and pumping station has an outlet direct to a stream/river the only reason they get away with it is dilution from rainfall. doesnt excuse farming though but cant believe many do it deliberately we can all have an accident

I know two wrongs don't make a right but the EA wouldn't tolerate a farm letting dirty water into a water course at times of high rainfall.
I had an EA inspection last year they were very thorough in their inspection of the farm, the water course that runs through and paperwork relating to muck and fertiliser spreading. As said, accidents can happen but they were certainly checking that facilities and practices were up to scratch.

 

[Pint]

cultivation is polution on a massive scale so some irony in this thread !!

Human beings are the biggest polluter full stop

 

[Shep]

Human beings are the biggest polluter full stop

There is no one on this planet in any position to point the finger! Everyone pollutes, to Some degree.

 

[Pint]

There is no one on this planet in any position to point the finger! Everyone pollutes, to Some degree.

My point exactly.

 

[Stuart J]

cultivation is polution on a massive scale so some irony in this thread !!

So is breathing.

 

[Clive]

So is breathing.

I was told that globally tillage is responsible for pumping more carbon into the atmosphere than every plane, train and automobile on the planet

Breathing is essential where as tillage is often pointless