Clean up operation

The UK Environment Agency has served an enforcement notice on Wollaston, Northamptonshire-based chemical resins and polymers manufacturer Scott Bader ordering the company to make improvements to its operating practices.

It has been issued after a pollution incident earlier in the year which left some local residents with watering eyes.

On Monday 23 May 2005, there was a release of acidic gas from the Scott Bader site which drifted across the adjacent Francis Dickins Close. A number of residents experienced discomfort as a result and complained to both the Environment Agency and Scott Bader.

The Environment Agency has carried out a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and as a result has ordered the company to make a number of improvements to the way it makes some of its chemical products.

Environment Agency Officer Keith Morgan said: ‘The Environment Agency’s investigation revealed that the operating procedures used by the company were insufficiently detailed and that this directly contributed to the incident.’

‘Scott Bader has more than 20 years experience of operating this particular process but this incident shows that procedures and training must be subject to continuous review to ensure that the highest standards are maintained,’ he added.