Express & Star

Stafford fire: Full impact of blaze revealed as ducks covered in oil and pollution miles away

The full extent of pollution from the huge fire that engulfed a Stafford firm was revealed today as new pictures showed the devastation that remains.

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Oil contamination from the Astonfields Industrial Estate fire flowed north and ended up towards Derbyshire, dozens of miles away. And the Environment Agency, which is conducting an investigation into the fire, said it had passed reports of 'oiled wildlife in distress', said to be ducks, onto the RSPCA.

The agency, which is investigating Global Hygiene – where the fire started – over the 40,000 tonnes of oil it had on its site, revealed the scale of the impact to the Express & Star.

Suzanne Ward, spokeswoman for the Environment Agency, confirmed it was still investigating the fire and also revealed the environmental impact.

She said: "Our priority has been to work with partners to minimise the impact on the community and the environment from this pollution. We'll continue to work with the company to clean up and prevent any remaining oil from causing further pollution in nearby rivers.

"We have not seen or had any reports of dead fish. However, we did pass reports to the RSPCA of some oiled wildlife in distress immediately after the incident.

"We are investigating what happened and will take any necessary action. We immediately asked the company to put in place a pollution prevention plan, which includes them employing a contractor to help with the ongoing clean-up and taking measures to minimise the risk of this happening again.

Flames rise into the sky after one of several explosions during the fire at Astonfields Industrial Estate in Stafford

"We will continue to work with the company to ensure that any ongoing operations comply with all the relevant legislation that we are responsible for enforcing.

"We take our role as a regulator seriously and we take enforcement action against anyone operating outside their permit or operating illegally."

The fire, which sent flames and explosions into the air, was one of the biggest blazes the town had seen for years. It took place on March 2 and left fire crews battling the inferno until the following day. A dozen fire appliances including aerial platforms and high volume pumps were used, with the Stafford Rangers Social Club being turned into a temporary control centre. The remains of the firm's building are still visible at the site as the investigation and clean-up continues nearly two months later.

A spokesperson for Global Hygiene, said: "Global Hygiene is committed to compliance with all of its legal obligations and we continue to work closely with the relevant agencies to minimise any impact on the environment.

"On 4th April 2016 we took control over the water quality monitoring. We have also submitted a pre-construction plan and appointed a principal contractor to undertake the remediation works.

"We would like to thank the local businesses for their support and understanding at this time."

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