The Shropshire Wildlife Trust has received a financial boost after the Environment Agency accepted an Enforcement Undertaking (EU) offer from Müller UK & Ireland Group LLP.

Photo: Shropshire Wildlife Trust:

An overhead view of the River Severn, into which the River Tern flows

The payment is part of an EU offered by the company for its failure in effluent discharge to the River Tern at the Müller Dairy facility in Market Drayton, Shropshire, in January 2018.

The Shropshire Wildlife Trust will use the £100,000 windfall after the company's permit breach to improve water quality and protect the county's rivers, including the Severn.

Müller UK & Ireland Group LLP is the largest yoghurt producer in the UK. The EU occurred as a result of 3 charges of failing to comply with permit conditions, under regulation 38(2) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, when an inlet screen was bypassed during maintenance works.

Large pieces of fruit passed into the effluent treatment plant, leading to high levels of ammonia in the treated effluent discharged into the River Tern. The effluent contained in excess of the permitted level of ammoniacal nitrogen for a period of 15 days in January 2018.

Müller has since complied with the regulations and invested £2 million in improvements to environmental working practices and has made a contribution of £100,000 to Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust works to restore lost habitats, helps declining species, and inspires future generations to care for nature in Shropshire. The donation will contribute towards the delivery of watercourse protection and water enhancement projects on the River Tern.

“Enforcement undertakings allow polluters to positively address and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents.

Sarah Dennis, a senior specialist for the Environment Agency, said:

“Enforcement undertakings allow polluters to positively address and restore harm caused to environment and prevent repeat incidents"

“The Environment Agency is increasingly using this method of enforcement for suitable cases to restore the environment, improve practices of the offending company, and avoid longer criminal court cases. However, we will prosecute in appropriate cases.”

Pete Lambert, head of land and water at Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said:

“Müller’s donation will support the land and water team who manage and improve the health of our county’s water by surveying aquatic species, running events and working with different partners to address flooding issues across the county.

“The funds will support the delivery of vital watercourse-protection and water quality enhancement projects using nature-based solutions including fencing and tertiary water-treatment along a small tributary of the River Tern in north Shropshire.”

Enforcement undertakings are available to the Environment Agency as an alternative sanction to prosecution or monetary penalty for dealing with certain environmental offences. It is a legally-binding voluntary agreement proposed by a business or an individual when the EA has reasonable grounds to suspect that an environmental offence has occurred.

Müller has also paid the Environment Agency’s administration, investigation and legal costs.