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Investigation into Nant yr Aber pollution drags on and NRW still won’t reveal details

News | Rhys Williams | Published: 18:19, Thursday December 22nd, 2022.
Last updated: 18:19, Thursday December 22nd, 2022

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Pollution in the Nant yr Aber river, Caerphilly
Pollution in the Nant yr Aber river, Caerphilly

An investigation into three incidents of pollution in the Nant yr Aber river still ongoing – almost four months on after members of the public first raised it with authorities.

On August 30, a section of the river turned white and murky, killing more than 100 fish – including trout, salmon, grayling and bullheads.

On September 16, around 800 metres of the river, near the Asda store in Caerphilly, was affected, with what was described by Morgan Jones ward councillor Shayne Cook as a “milky substance sitting on top of the water”.

A further case of discolouration was reported on on Wednesday, October 19.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has been investigating the three incidents, which it says are all unrelated, but said it is unable to share details due to “internal processes”.

Pollution in the Nant yr Aber river, near Caerphilly Asda, on September 16
Pollution in the Nant yr Aber river, near Caerphilly Asda, on September 16

While NRW said the investigation was still progressing, it did not set an exact timeframe for when details would be made public.

Kirsty Lewis, senior environment officer at NRW, said staff are available 24/7 to investigate the incidents reported to the environmental body.

She continued: “Our officers are continuing to work closely with our partners as part of the ongoing investigation process, and any appropriate enforcement action will be carried out as necessary.

“As with any investigation, no case details can be disclosed as this could impede any outcome.”

Ms Lewis confirmed no further reports of pollution in the river have been reported to NRW.

Cllr Cook said he was keeping in contact with NRW about the incidents, but urged people to be careful what they post on social media about the incidents.

He said: “There’s a lot of rumours flying around the community about this, putting the blame on a number of local businesses, so I’d urge people to wait until NRW release further info about this.”

Anyone who sees further pollution in the area can contact NRW through its incident hotline on 0300 065 3000 or through its online incident form.


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Shayne Cook

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