EU must bring UK government to book over Thames pollution

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 25th Oct 2005

Liberal Democrat MEP for London Baroness Sarah Ludford will today challenge the European Commission to bring the UK government to task over its failure to act to stop sewage pollution of the river Thames. Over 30 billion litres of raw sewage were pumped into it in the last year from the Victorian sewer system.

In the view of the UK regulator, the Environment Agency, the outflows breach the EU's "Urban Waste Water Directive" which requires adequate sewage collection systems. Sarah Ludford delivered a petition to the European Parliament on the issue, and put two questions to the House of Lords earlier this year. She says:

"To have an unsightly, foul-smelling and polluted river running through the heart of our future Olympic city is an embarrassment not just to London, but to the whole of Britain. The proposed athletes' village directly overlooks the overflow site at Abbey Mills in the Lea valley!"

"The Blair government is betraying Londoners by its continued stonewalling on expert recommendations that an interceptor tunnel is the best solution. The longer Ministers drag their feet the more this will ultimately cost."

"I am today calling on the European Commission to follow through on its investigations and to initiate infringement proceedings against the UK for breach of EU law."

Notes

- Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP will use today's Question Time session to the European Commission to ask the following question:

"Will the Commission now reach a speedy decision on infringement proceedings against the UK for breach of the Urban Waste Water Directive due to overflows of raw sewage into the River Thames? Is it aware that the UK regulator the Environment Agency 'believes that most of the combined sewer overflows do not meet the requirements of the UWWTD'. What view does the Commission take of the fact that the UK Department for Environment (DEFRA) refuses to release the legal advice given to the Thames Tideway Strategic Study which brings together the various agencies? Will the Commission help London avoid the embarrassment that this pollution scandal if not resolved will cause to the 2012 Olympics, both to watersports and because the proposed athletes' village will overlook the overflow at Abbey Mills with its associated smells and unsightly mess?"

• In response to a question she put to the House of Lords, the government stated that the proposed interceptor tunnel needed "further investigation, as it would take about 15 years to implement and cost in the order of £1.7 billion." To read the full answer, please go to:

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds05/text/50608w05.htm#50608w05_sbhd5

• For further details of Baroness Ludford's campaign for a cleaner Thames please go to:

http://www.sarahludfordmep.org.uk/news/488.html

http://www.sarahludfordmep.org.uk/news/479.html

http://www.sarahludfordmep.org.uk/petitions/1.html

http://www.sarahludfordmep.org.uk/speeches/67.html

http://www.sarahludfordmep.org.uk/speeches/86.html