The United Kingdom's East Midlands Airport must pay nearly £900,000 after contaminated water with de-icing chemicals polluted local waterways, West Bridgford Wire reported.
What happened?
Derby Crown Court issued fines totaling £892,500 ($1.2 million) on July 28 for three environmental permit violations that occurred between Jan. 14 and Feb. 4, 2022.
The airport must also pay £65,687.54 ($88,883.56) in legal costs.
Each violation involved drainage water with excessive biochemical oxygen demand, which is an indicator of organic pollution.
The airport's permit sets a 15-milligram-per-liter BOD limit, but investigators learned the facility exceeded this threshold three times during those three weeks.
"The conditions of an environmental permit are designed to protect people and the environment," said Ian Firkins, the Environment Agency's East Midlands Area senior environment officer. "Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment."
The facility had committed 13 permit breaches since 2006, accumulating 10 written warnings before these latest penalties.
Why are airport pollution violations concerning?
Ice-removal and ice-prevention chemicals applied to aircraft and runways can wash into streams and rivers. These substances can have damaging effects as they break down, including stripping oxygen from water, which affects fish and other aquatic organisms that can't escape to healthier areas.
Local economies can suffer when polluted waterways drive away tourism and recreation.
Though removing ice from planes and runways keeps passengers safe, improperly managed chemical runoff damages ecosystems that then require years of restoration work. Each permit breach compounds existing water quality problems.
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Definitely 👍 What's being done about airport pollution?
In some places, aviation authorities offer grants for environmental mitigation projects that can reduce water quality impacts at airports.
Some facilities recover and recycle spent chemicals rather than allow them to enter waterways. Newer formulations reduce oxygen demand compared to older products.
If you witness environmental violations, contact authorities through dedicated hotlines. Support policies that require stricter monitoring and enforcement at industrial facilities. Choose airlines that demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection through transparent reports and investment in cleaner technologies.
Leading airports and governments may invest heavily in collection systems and monitoring programs to prevent contamination. These actions demonstrate that it is possible to protect waterways while maintaining safe operations when facilities prioritize environmental responsibility.
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