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22
Jun
'Keep out of the water' advises councillor following village pollution
A serious pollution incident in a local beck caused a stink at the weekend in Marton-cum-Grafton.
Villagers first raised the alarm on Thursday (June 18), when they could smell a strong smell of ammonia coming from Goker Beck.
The incident, on the edge of the village south-east of Boroughbridge, is reported to have been started when the bund of an open slurry pit on the edge of the village was breached. This is yet to be confirmed.
Goker Beck runs into the River Ure, which further downstream becomes the River Ouse, one of the main watercourses in the Vale of York.
It is understood that the Swale and Ure Drainage Board – the statutory body tasked with monitoring water levels in the area – arrived on the scene to take evidence to submit to the Environment Agency.
Green Party councillor Arnold Warneken, who represents the Ouseburn division on North Yorkshire Council, said:
It’s devastating for wildlife, livestock and our whole community that such a big pollution event has taken place.
I’ve checked that the director of public health has been informed. I’ve also spoken to Yorkshire Water who say that they are supporting the Environment Agency’s investigation by sampling the River Ouse for water quality.
I would strongly advise residents or their pets to avoid entering the any beck or river in the wider area until the extent of damage is established.
It’s a lovely time of year and the sun’s shining, but please make sure that your pets, children and young people celebrating exams all keep out of the water.
In a Facebook post on Sunday morning, the local MP, Sir Alec Shelbrooke, said:
In the last 24 hours, the Environment Agency has begun an emergency operation to tackle an ongoing incident of fertiliser polluting the watercourse in Grafton. I asked to be kept fully informed of developments.
The Stray Ferret has approached the Environment Agency for further details of the incident.
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