Campaigners demand end to raw sewage being dumped in rivers after MPs voted not to stop it
Environmental campaigners have condemned Tory MPs who voted
against amending a bill to stop companies dumping raw sewage into rivers and
seas.
MPs last week voted to remove the Lords amendment to the
Environment Bill which aimed to clean up rivers by placing a new duty on water
companies to reduce sewage discharges when drains are overwhelmed.
It was put forward by crossbench peer the Duke of Wellington
and would have forced companies and the Government to "take all reasonable
steps" to avoid using sewer overflows.
However, MPs voted 268 to 204, majority 64, to disagree with
proposals. Only 22 Conservative MPs rebelled and supported the measures.
Environment Agency figures show that water companies
discharged raw sewage more than 400,000 times into England’s waterways for a
period of 3.1 million hours in 2020.
Campaign groups Rivers Trust and Surfers Against Sewage have
both called for action to tackle sewage being dumped into waterways and at
coastal spots, producing interactive maps showing the rivers and beaches worst
affected by the problem.
NOBODY should have to worry about sewage pollution when
they're enjoying time in or around our rivers
Whether you swim, paddle, catch or play, make sure you stay
informed about Sewage discharges in YOUR local river using our map
Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, said: "In
this most important of environmental decades, it’s shocking that the Government
recommended that MPs reject progressive and ambitious amendments that would
protect water, air and nature.
"Why wouldn’t they want water companies to have a legal
obligation not to pollute our rivers and ocean with sewage, for example? It
beggars belief and hardly shows a commitment to be the greenest government
ever.
"It’s time for more ambitious thinking and law that
builds protected nature back into public ownership rather than leaving it to
the ravages of shareholder interests."
It comes just days before Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts
world leaders at the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow.
We are changing the law to reduce sewage entering our rivers
and seas from storm overflows.
Our Environment Bill places a range of new legal
responsibilities on water companies to tackle water pollution.
It also comes after businesses admitted they were struggling
to get hold of sewage treatment chemicals due to the lack of lorry drivers
caused by Brexit and Covid.
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs said: "The amount of sewage discharge by water companies
into our rivers is unacceptable.
"We have made it clear to water companies that they
must significantly reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows as a priority.
"To this end we have added a range of new
legally-binding obligations directly on water companies in the Environment
Bill, as well as over £3 billion of water company investment to tackle
pollution in rivers, and we expect to see results."
Source LBC
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