30 July 2001

• There follows the water monitoring results from the Environment Agency which show how high the levels of pollution have been in borehole 2 by the burial site. The contamination in this borehole was first discovered by our monitor back in early April. Our monitor has since detected a foul smell from borehole 6 - also close to the burial pit – when she visited the site on 8 June. However the results before they closed this borehole showed insignificant levels of ammonia. Most of the other boreholes also show insignicant levels of ammonia and have been shut down and it is claimed that most surface waters have dried up. If surface water sampling was being taken from standing water – which appears to be the case given the details the Agency have provided – would these show traces of ammonia in any case? According to Sue Essex there was to be testing of streams but as far as we can see those results have not been included.
• The Action Group is not satisfied that these results show the full picture and have started monitoring surrounding streams since mid June. Our results show higher levels of ammonia than would normally be expected and, in the case of the samples taken on 14 and 15 June following heavy rain, showed levels of ammonia up to 7 times the acceptable level. The significance of testing for ammonia is that it is one of the easiest tests and shows whether leaching from dead animals has occurred. However, there may be much more dangerous substances which are not being monitored to our knowledge by the Environment Agency and cannot be monitored by the Epynt Action Group because of the costs involved and the lack of access to the required resources. The assumption must be, however, if ammonia is leaching out other substances will also be polluting.
• The Epynt Action Group believes it needs careful consideration as to why the pollution rises significantly in the streams following heavy rain. Further tests will be undertaken after heavy rain in the future to ascertain whether this continues to happen.