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£100k fine for Veolia in city toxic fumes alert

Veolia was fined £101,000 for releasing toxic fumes into the air, sparking a full-scale medical alert. Residents in Kirkdale, Anfield and Everton suffered streaming eyes and sore throats up to 10 hours after the alert near Bootle docks in April 2006.

Four workers at Veolia Environmental Services, in Bootle, were taken to hospital with internal burns after the toxic bromine gas emitted from a container. The firm has now been penalised following a joint prosecution by the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive.

Veolia breached conditions of its waste management licence and pleaded guilty to eight charges brought against it. It accepted waste it was not permitted to hold and then stored it with another chemical substance. The reaction of the substances caused toxic fumes to be released into the air. The situation was exacerbated because emergency plans the company had in place were not followed.

During the incident, emergency services were put on red alert as the vapours drifted over built-up areas of north Liverpool. Residents were urged to stay indoors by police and keep windows and doors closed, and a special decontamination tent was set up outside Fazakerley hospital to treat sufferers.

The firm’s emergency plans were today described by the Environment Agency as “inadequate” and hindered the emergency services. Since the incident, Veolia has carried out a full review of its procedures and safeguards have been put in place to ensure it does not happen again. Along with the fine, the company was also ordered to pay costs of £65,000.

HSE inspector Daniel Longdon said: “This prosecution should act as a warning to waste treatment operators.”