Steel group forced to pay out thousands of pounds over pollution

Tata Steel has been forced to pay £73,000 to an environmental organisation over a pollution incident near its Scunthorpe site.

In May 2015, Environment Agency officers found red lubricating oil at Bottesford Beck in North Lincolnshire.

The Agency found that the oil was overflow from an industrial bulk container as oil was being drained from a lubricating tank at the nearby Tata Steel UK site.

TSUK accepted an obligation to make a donation of £73,000 to the Humber Nature Partnership.

It has also agreed to take action to ensure that a similar incident does not recur and paid the costs of the Environment Agency.

Elizabeth Cooper, environment officer with the Environment Agency, said: “We work hard to protect people and the environment. In this case, we considered that the Enforcement Undertaking was an appropriate way to sanction the company while creating a benefit for the local environment.

“Serious pollution can have devastating effects on rivers, fields and wildlife.”