Slurry spill investigation at Dales river
Plus all the latest eco news from across the region
Good morning! I’m Sarah Hartley and this is The Northern Eco weekly update. As you’ve received this newsletter then either you subscribed, or someone forwarded it to you. If the latter, then you can click on this handy little button below.
We start today returning to the issue of river pollution with news of a serious incident in the Yorkshire Dales. Elsewhere we’ve news on:
Research into the carbon footprints of green initiatives
The chance to celebrate that most cheery of bird - the puffin!
A call for artists with work which speaks to the climate crisis
River pollution incident under investigation
An investigation has been launched by the Environment Agency(EA) after reports of dead fish and a river turned green with slurry pollution.
The incident near Leyburn in North Yorkshire was spotted at the end of April although it’s not known how long the slurry - a mixture of water and manure used as a natural fertiliser for crops - had been spilling into Garriston Beck .
An EA spokesperson said: “We are investigating the slurry incident near Leyburn and, after attending the site, can confirm that the pollution has stopped.
“Our focus has turned to establishing the cause of the incident and assessing environmental impacts to tributaries of the River Ure.
“We would like to thank members of the public for reporting this incident to our hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”
The spill was also reported to local river campaign groups who have been working with volunteer citizen scientists to monitor pollution levels in both the River Swale and the River Ure.
A spokesperson for Save Our Swale said: "We only know of the slurry spill incident at Garriston Beck from what was reported to us by members of the Stop Ure Pollution (SUP) campaign.
“We are pleased that it is being investigated by the Environment Agency which is exactly what should happen when pollution incidents of this nature occur. We are concerned about the report that the reported slurry spill could, though, end up in the Swale via Hunton Beck!
This is not within the catchment area of the Save Our Swale campaign which runs from Wainwath in the Dale through Richmond and down to Brompton but nonetheless, any potential for pollution anywhere on the Swale is concerning and the public have a right to be informed.”
Environmental damage
If slurry spills into the water, it can kill marine life and other wildlife, leading to environmental damage. These incidents are taken very seriously and can result in significant fines and penalties, including fines of up to £50,000 issued by the EA.
One of the primary causes of river pollution from slurry is the release of harmful chemicals and nutrients during its decomposition. When slurry decomposes, it releases nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which can cause excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants in rivers and other bodies of water. This eutrophication process, can lead to a reduction in oxygen levels in the water, causing harm to fish and other aquatic life.
Next steps
We’ll follow up on the EA investigation to establish the cause of the incident and any enforcement response. However, experience suggests this is unlikely to have a speedy resolution.
Regular readers may recall the serious slurry pollution incident which took place in April 2023 at Skeeby Beck. At the two year anniversary of that incident, we submitted another Freedom of Information (FOI) request to EA asking about its investigation of the Category 1 incident.
An EA spokesperson responded saying: "This case is still ongoing and is near the stage of being finalised, however, a time frame cannot be provided due to it being a complex process."
The three most clicked links from last week were:
In other news
🌏 England’s peat deposits - mostly in he North - are one of our most valuable national assets. They’re our largest carbon store, they filter most of our fresh water and help defend communities against flooding, and they’re home to irreplaceable plants and wildlife. Yesterday Natural England launched a new nationwide map of peat and peaty soils, The England Peat Map. The map has the most detailed national coverage to date for peat depth, peatland vegetation, upland drainage channels, and upland bare peat, which are all important in determining peatland condition. It’s published on an open access, easy to use web viewer and across a number of freely accessible government platforms.
Revealed: The carbon footprints of 'digital green' initiatives
New research at York University is revealing the true environmental impact of our increasingly online lives.
🪶 Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s annual puffin festival is back for a seventh year on 7th and 8th June, including puffin-watching, wildlife walks, boat trips, workshops on how to photograph puffins and other wildlife from afar, activities run by The Deep, a range of wellbeing sessions, storytelling sessions and craft workshops.
🪶 Gannets, Britain's largest seabirds, are returning to the cliffs of Bempton, on the East Yorkshire coast, after spending the winter at sea, reports Will Abbott at the York Press.
🌳 Government urged to 'list' precious trees for protection after Northumberland’s Sycamore Gap felling, writes Adam Foster at The Northern Echo.
🍓 Councillors are hatching a plan to grow fresh strawberries and chilli peppers outside Leeds Civil Hall reports Don Mort of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
🌏 For the last 10 years, Zero Carbon Harrogate has been at the forefront of raising awareness of the environment and climate change locally. As the organisation turns 10 years old, The Stray Ferret spoke with Jemima Parker about its goals, the climate crisis and how we can do more to reduce our carbon footprint.
🪶 Two major news broadcasters covered the first court appearance of 34-year-old gamekeeper Racster Dingwall, reports RaptorPersecutionUK. Dingwall pleaded not guilty at Skipton Magistrates’ Court to two charges relating to an alleged conspiracy to shoot and kill a hen harrier on a grouse moor last October on the Conistone & Grassington Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
⚡️ BOOM Power has received approval from central government for its East Yorkshire Solar Farm, which will cover 1,277ha of farmland between the hamlet of Gribthorpe, the villages of Spaldington and Wressle, and the town of Howden, reports Darren Greenwood at the York Press.
🌏 Congratulations to Durham University graduate Jim Mann who has scooped a $5m prize for climate tech with his business Undo, which was supported by Newcastle University in fieldwork in carbon capture. Tom Keighley at BuinessLive has more.
⚡️ Batteries for up to 100,000 electric vehicles a year will be made at a new AESC plant in Washington, Sunderland, when fully operational, reports Kayleigh Fraser at The Northern Echo.
🎨 Are you an artist or creative from York or the surrounding area with work which speaks to feelings or concerns about nature and the climate crisis? If so the York Environment Festival 2025 wants to hear from you. Drop them a message or email at <info@yorkenvironmentfestival.org.uk> by May 30 to discuss your work and your ideas for their project.
🌿 As part of our campaign to stop the use of the pesticide glyphosate in public places we heard the experience of the city of Leicester where campaigners have been taking on the council for several years.
That’s all for this week but don’t forget there are updates on the website and via social media through the week too.
Lots of eco events to enjoy this month here so, whatever you choose to do, enjoy your week!
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