£60,000 bill for West Bromwich company which pumped potentially harmful chemicals into sewers
A company has been ordered to pay more than £60,000 after pumping potentially harmful chemicals into the sewer network.
Arrow Environmental Services in West Bromwich has been hit with the bill after investigations found gases and metals being discharged into the sewer were above the prescribed limits.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard on Wednesday that the amounts of chemicals entering the sewer potentially posed a risk to the 'natural environment'.
It is the second time the company has appeared in court for the safety breach in the space of three years.
This time around, almost 200 times the amount of oil and grease than legally permitted was discharged. Nearly three times the amount of copper and zinc than allowed also entered the sewer.
Potentially harmful chemicals phosphorus and monohydric phenols, which Severn Trent Water does not allow to be discharged, also went into the sewer network.
Judge Nicholas Webb said company bosses had a cavalier attitude towards the issue.
He acknowledged steps had been taken to try and solve the problem but said they did not go far enough and suggested someone at the firm should have smelled the chemical and acted sooner.
The industrial and residential cleaning company, which is based in Kelvin Way, pleaded guilty to 10 charges of discharging trade effluent between February and October 2014.
It was fined £47,000 and must also pay court costs of £13,700.
Mr Mike Atkins, defending, said: "This is a long way from a trader illegally discharging waste into a river resulting in fish kill, it's not that sort of case at all."
