UK oil refinery broke toxic pollution limits dozens of times, documents reveal
Pollution was spilled into local rivers and protected sites, documents shared with the BBC suggest.
One of the UK's largest oil refineries, EET Fuels (formerly Essar), repeatedly spilled pollution into nearby rivers and the Mersey Estuary in 2023 and 2024, according to documents revealed by investigative journalists. The Stanlow refinery, which processes 10 million tonnes of crude oil annually, is one of only four remaining refineries in the UK.
EET Fuels pleaded guilty to 12 charges of breaching environmental law between 2018 and 2020, but documents show that multiple additional breaches occurred during the same period. The Environment Agency (EA) is currently investigating these breaches, which could result in illegal offenses. Toxic chemicals like cyanide, benzene, and heavy oils were regularly released into the air and waterways, including the River Mersey Estuary, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) that is home to endangered species.
In one incident in July 2023, the refinery released over a tonne of oil into Thornton Brook, which eventually reached the Mersey Estuary. EET Fuels claimed the spill was minor and localized, but the regulation requires reporting within 24 hours. Another incident in September 2024 saw over a tonne of oil spilled again, with the company providing an estimate of the release nearly two weeks later, another breach of regulations.
The EA and Natural England, responsible for protecting SSSIs, have warned that the pollution could negatively impact local wildlife and vegetation.
Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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