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Fuel leak which killed fish in River Taff stopped

GE Aerospace previously confirmed fuel got into the river while repair work took place nearby.

Fuel leak which killed fish in River Taff stopped

A fuel leak in the River Taff has caused fish to die and prompted a warning for people to close their windows, according to officials. The pollution affecting the Taff in areas such as Nantgarw, Treforest, and Taffs Well has been present since October 16th. GE Aerospace confirmed that fuel had entered the river during repair work at its nearby site, but NRW is investigating how the fuel entered the drainage system and reached the river.

NRW has found fewer than ten dead fish and minimal impact on aquatic invertebrates as a result of the leak. The source of the pollution was identified on Friday evening after kerosene spread down nearly 2.5 miles (4km) of the river. NRW is compiling and reviewing evidence as part of the ongoing investigation. Reports of pollution were also received in Glan Y Llyn, Gwaelod-y-garth, and Tongwynlais.

On Sunday evening, NRW stated that identifying how the fuel entered the drainage system was difficult due to the involvement of underground systems. Specialist drainage and containment contractors were sent to the site and are currently removing the fuel. Eurig Thomas, a resident in Nantgarw, described the smell as similar to a petrol station.

Public Health Wales advised nearby residents to keep their windows and doors closed, avoid contact with the water, and call NHS 111 if they feel unwell.

Written by urgent.news from BBC Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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