…and if so, to whom?

A quarry has evidently reopened in the last year and excavations have been in full swing. No problem with this, but yesterday, we found what looks like a industrial sized pipe that would appear to be prep from draining what has become a small lake directly into the woods next to the quarry. This where it’s positioned, would dump all the water into the woods, washing all sorts of wood detritus down a hill and into a small stream. This strikes me as bad and of questionable legality, but I won;t know for sure. So do you think it should be reported and if so, who to?

There location is here

…and here’s what’s been purposely buried in under a path

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oBSCg9]IMG_0639[/url] by -Cheesyfeet-, on Flickr
Pipe coming out of the ‘lake’

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oU6nxT]IMG_0640[/url] by -Cheesyfeet-, on Flickr
Gravel put over the pipe

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oBSA7j]IMG_0641[/url] by -Cheesyfeet-, on Flickr
Soil over the pipe and the exposed pipe

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oU6kAg]IMG_0642[/url] by -Cheesyfeet-, on Flickr
Pipe emerging from under the soil

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oUkaQh]IMG_0643[/url] by -Cheesyfeet-, on Flickr
End of the pipe pointing down the hill

Not sure about whether it should or not but Environment Agency will probably be your best bet

Call the council and ask about planning permission and raise environmental impact questions, you could write a follow up letter / email so there is written proof.

Environment Agency +1

Get in touch with the EA here

Yep E.A. And they will send someone out to looksie, call it in today and whomever is on duty may get some overtime 😉

0800 807060

Having another look it could be legit, “lake” could be a settlement pond, when it gets to a certain level water will discharge down pipe and into the stream.

On the face of it, it certainly looks very iffy; I’d get in touch with the local council environment officer and raise concerns about it.
Might be worth a letter to your local newspaper, get some wider local attention.

These people may well be helpful – phone number on right.

edit: I take it all back – different Thrift wood

Having another look it could be legit, “lake” could be a settlement pond, when it gets to a certain level water will discharge down pipe and into the stream.

Water would only get out by being pumped out!

That is going to cause some serious erosion when they start pumping
or maybe they will connect up more pipes down to the stream even so you do need permissions to discharge into a water course

I think the council have installed that (judging by the chap standing in a council-employee-obligatory-I’m-a-little-teapot-just-watching stance who you have caught on camera there).

They could have a discharge permit, pump could be a portable one, pretty open location pump would get robbed if permanent. The fact that they buried the pipe and went to the trouble of putting gravel down makes me think it’s legit. Pump doesn’t need to be a monster so erosion shouldn’t come into it. I had a case last year of people reporting lots of silt in a watercourse. Caller insisted it was a quarry, checked them out and they weren’t dewatering, ended up being about 15 horses wallowing like Hippos. Can’t blame them it was hot.

Judging by this:

linky

They may well have permission to pump out and discharge somewhere (can’t find anything more recent). Whether this is exactly what they’re meant to be doing is another matter.

I’ve sent the details to the environmental officer at the appropriate council. If they’ve got a discharge permit, then that’s that – but it’s going to right royally bugger up the path to from the stream 🙁

(but it’s going to right royally bugger up the path to from the stream

PROW officer at the local council?

martinhutch – Member
Judging by this:

linky

They may well have permission to pump out and discharge somewhere (can’t find anything more recent). Whether this is exactly what they’re meant to be doing is another matter.

That link is isn’t for a discharge permit – IIRC that would have to be issued by EA.
And event if a permit has been issued, there will be a method statement or similar which should explain how it will be done – i’d be surprised if they were allowed to just discharge like the photos indicate.

EA is who you want to speak to IMHO, not the council.

It’s just that they’ve sought permission for night pumping in terms of noise pollution, which increases the chances of them actually having applied for and received permits for the discharging etc.

As you say though, EA will know for sure, hopefully.

Surly if they added more pipes to the downhill side they only need to get the water flowing for the syphon to take over and a quiet 24 hour drainage to happen and save loads of fuel

You need the Environment Agency and also your County Council planning enforcement officers (County Councils are responsible for waste and mineral planning matters which this may well be part of if it’s a former quarry site). Or your unitary authority if you’ve one of those instead of a district/county split.

Surly if they added more pipes to the downhill side they only need to get the water flowing for the syphon to take over and a quiet 24 hour drainage to happen and save loads of fuel

But I’ll added provided the height change is less than about 10m

What happens to the fish?

They evolve into pterodactyls and learn to appreciate jazz fusion.

Having another look it could be legit, “lake” could be a settlement pond, when it gets to a certain level water will discharge down pipe and into the stream.

more info here,
http://www.netregs.org.uk/library_of_topics/water/managing_solids_in_discharges.aspx

EA regulate