Fish and eels' deaths linked to firewater pollution

Chemicals from firewater runoff entered a brook and spread downstream where dead fish and eels were later found, the Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed.

The dead fish were discovered in Brislington Brook, Bristol, shortly after a blaze at a nearby industrial estate on 1 September.

The EA did not directly attribute the death of the wildlife to the fire but said that sampling had confirmed that "chemicals from the firewater runoff entered the brook and spread downstream".

Leaders of Friends of Brislington Brook (FOBB) said since the deaths all the other animals have fled the area, and they are now calling for someone to be held to account.

"Somebody is culpable, we need to have accountability," said Jackie Friel, who is acting chair of FOBB, which carries out conservation work in the brook.

"The fire service need to produce a fire impact report to show what measures they took to protect the environment."

She said the owner of the disused factory unit in which chemicals were stored also needed to be held to account.

"[The EA] need to do more of an investigation to find out what happened the day the fire took place and speak to the fire service about their containment procedures," she said.

An Avon Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said that reducing the impact of contaminants in the local environment was "extremely important" to the service.

"We work closely with the Environment Agency, seeking and following their advice to ensure the most appropriate environmental protection measures are in place," the spokesperson said.

"In line with their guidance, we took steps to prevent contaminants from spreading by blocking drains, containing runoff where possible, and limiting any potential impact on local waterways and surrounding areas.

"At the time we were aware of references to firefighting foam in nearby waterways.

"However, no firefighting foam was used during our response to this incident."

The Environment Agency said firewater incidents were "complex" and often involved "multiple pollutants".

The spokesperson added: "Our assessment indicates the eel deaths may have resulted from a combination of factors, including multiple chemicals acting together and the levels of pollution changing throughout the incident."

European eels are critically endangered and migrate thousands of miles from their spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea to mature in the fresh waters of Europe.

About 50 were found dead in Brislington Brook following the fire.

Friel said it was "tragic to see" them.

"We were all so upset," she said. "We had such a flourishing community of eels here and now they are all dead."

FOBB said that the group wanted to work to reintroduce eels to the brook.

"It's not only the aquatic creatures," said Friel. "Since they died all the other animals have fled.

"Now the woods are bereft of life, the place is eerily quiet, there are no birds singing, there is no evidence of any wildlife here at all."

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