PAPER manufacturer Sappi has been fined £8,000 by Blackburn magistrates after more than four times the permitted amount of effluent escaped into sewers from its mill at Feniscowles.

The court appearance comes less than a month after the firm was fined £17,500 with £37,444 costs at Preston Crown Court for polluting the rivers Roddlesworth, Darwen and Ribble.

Defence solicitor Andrew Church-Taylor entered guilty pleas on behalf of the company to two offences of contravening the conditions of a consent for discharge of trade effluent. A third summons was withdrawn.

The court heard the company paid £400,000 annually to discharge effluent from the paper coating process at a concentration of up to 500 milligrams per litre. On the occasion of the first offence a member of staff at the treatment works noticed that effluent coming in had turned white. Samples taken automatically at the Sappi site showed a level of 2,310 milligrams on the first occasion and on the second, nearly two weeks later, there was a reading of 2,030.

Angela Muston, prosecuting, said Sappi knew North West Water was concerned about the consent and the company had been given every opportunity to put things right.

"Its interest in solving the problems in correspondence with North West Water was not reflected in its actions," said Mrs Muston.

Mr Church-Taylor said that at the end of the paper coating process waste was collected in tanks and treated before being released into the sewers.

The coating machine had broken down on both occasions when levels exceeded the permitted level and material which should have gone on the paper had gone into the tanks.

He said the company had new procedures to prevent a recurrence, including the installation of a new sludge press costing well in excess of £300,000.

"The company has taken steps with a view to solving the problem not with a view to the cost," said Mr Church-Taylor, who added that Sappi pays £400,000 per annum for the right to discharge effluent to the sewer.

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