Spillage "must never happen again" - Farron

3.00.00pm GMT Wed 30th Jan 2008

Local MP Tim Farron today renewed calls for answers, following confusion over a major oil spillage from a generator at Coniston Water. There is a debate over when the oil spill occurred, due to conflicting stories over who reported the spillage first. An eyewitness reported the spill to the Environment Agency on January 17th, and the EA started clean-up the following day. However, United Utilities claimed it reported the situation as soon as it occurred. In addition, it took eight days to tell the public about the spillage.

Tim Farron said:

"We must have answers on the three main questions following this incident; why is their confusion over the reporting of the spillage, how did the oil enter the lake, and why did it take eight days to let the public know?"

"The diesel which leaked across the lake contains forty times the amount of sulphur found in the diesel people put in their cars. Clearly, this is a highly toxic fuel which could do real damage. This spillage threatens to undo the hard work done by farmers and conservationists to improve the biodiversity of the aquatic wildlife and water quality of the lake, and should not be taken lightly. We have to ensure that not such leak happens again, and the best way to achieve this is to get answers to these vital questions now."