For the second time this year, the North Sea Canal Area Environmental Service has reprimanded Tata Steel. The steel giant has discharged high concentrations of mercury, lead and nickel into the sewer. In March, Tata Steel also received a warning for discharging mercury without a permit.
The Environment Agency, which issues permits and supervises on behalf of the province, asked Tata Steel in 2019 for an overview of the substances of very high concern (ZZS) that the company discharges into the sewer. When that overview came out in March of this year, it turned out that Tata was discharging mercury without a permit. The Environment Agency warned that Tata Steel had to take measures within a week.
A new check now shows that mercury is still being discharged or is being discharged again, reports NH News. High concentrations of lead and nickel have also illegally ended up in the sewer via the factories.
Purification before discharge
Tata Steel responded in March. Then the steel giant assumed it would meet all requirements because the mercury is discharged into the sewage before it is carefully treated in the sewage treatment plant.
The Environment Agency confirms that there is no danger to the safety and health of the environment, because the sewage does indeed only end up in the surface water after purification. But that does not alter the fact that the discharge of mercury is illegal. The Environment Agency is now imposing a cease and desist order on Tata Steel. This means that the company faces a fine of at least 20,000 euros if the problems are not solved within four weeks.
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