Diamond Jubilee for our natural crown jewels

The Diamond Jubilee will come early for six of England’s National Nature Reserves as the end of May will see them celebrating their sixtieth anniversary.

Just one month before Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, six of England’s most precious natural sites – spread across Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon, Durham, Kent, Suffolk and West Sussex - were designated as National Nature Reserves (NNRs). A lot has changed in that time – for the Reserves and for the natural environment as a whole: England has become more crowded, the climate is changing and we’ve become more aware of our impact on the planet. These Reserves, however, have remained havens for wildlife and for people, providing a place for our rarest plants and animals to thrive.

The Reserves celebrating their own special anniversary in the run up to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee are:

Cavenham Heath, Suffolk

East Dartmoor, Devon

Ham Street Woods, Kent

Holme Fen, Cambridgeshire

Kingley Vale, West Sussex

Moorhouse and Upper Teesdale, Cumbria and Country Durham

Since these were officially recognised as National Nature Reserves, a total of 224 NNRs have been designated across England, creating a unique network and treasure trove for wildlife and also where our finest geology is on show. Designated by Natural England, NNRs are given the highest levels of protection and managed to help benefit the wildlife that inhabit them and the tens of thousands of people that come to visit them each year.

 From The Lizard in Cornwall, to Lindisfarne in Northumberland, each NNR has something that makes it special: whether it’s the ancient yew trees of Kingley Vale – possibly among the oldest living things in England - or the Dartford warbler’s soft, metallic song on East Dartmoor. And as the world changes, NNRs continue to welcome new species, such as the great white egrets that in May of this year nested in England for the first time at Natural England’s Shapwick Heath reserve.

Jim Smyllie, Executive Director at Natural England, said: “Sixty years on, NNRs are more important now than they have ever been. They provide the cornerstones of nature conservation in England and we want them to be at the heart of our efforts to restore wider landscapes to allow our species to thrive.

“The sixty year celebration is a great way to remember what has been achieved for the wildlife on these reserves – it’s also a great time to thank the staff and volunteers who’ve worked so hard to keep these places special. The knowledge and enthusiasm these people bring are as much a national asset as the Reserves themselves.”

Two Injured as Factory Explosions Spark Huge Fire in Littleborough

Firefighters are tackling a blaze involving silos of solvents at a factory on Calderbrook Road, Littleborough. One man was treated for burns to his arm while another was contaminated with bitumen, police said.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service received a number of calls just before 1.00pm today. Crews from Littleborough and Rochdale fire stations went to the scene and found a number of silos of solvent were on fire. Ten crews are currently tackling the blaze. The GMFRS Control Room received more than 60 calls reporting the fire.

A nearby resident described hearing a "massive explosion". A huge plume of thick black smoke can be seen for miles around. Police have closed Calderdale Road and nearby residents are being evacuated.

Residents have been evacuated in Litteborough after the explosion at a paint factory started a huge blaze. There have been reports of at least one serious injury - a man, thought to be in his twenties, was taken away in an air ambulance. A second man has also been taken to hospital after suffering burns to his face, legs and hands. Roads have been closed and residents evacuated from the area surrounding the fire, as police fear that the fumes from the blaze may be dangerous. Residents have also reported seeing bitumen flow 'like lava' down a street.

The blaze started at around half past twelve and residents say they heard a number of explosions before acrid black smoke started to plume into the sky. The blaze is still going on.

Stuart Littleford of Saddleworth, drove up to the area after seeing the smoke from his garden. He said: "When I arrived there were plumes of thick acrid black smoke rising into the sky. Police were evacuating everybody from the nearby houses due to concerns there would be an explosion. Shortly afterwards an air ambulance arrived to take away a casualty who had been seriously burnt in the fire. Police are all wearing masks to protect themselves from the smoke and fumes. There are concerns there are storage tanks full of fuel still in there which might explode, so there is a police cordon around the area."

Lee Hartley, 39, Sydney Gardens, returned home from work when he heard about the blaze. He said: "My mum rang me saying the factory's just exploded. My dog's in the house 60 yards from the factory but they won't let me rescue him because it's not safe. My mum said she heard very loud explosions, all the house shook." David O'Neill, who lives on Shakespeare Close, heard the explosion. He said: "There was one hell of a bang at first then I looked out and saw flames and it seemed as if it were raining soot. The first explosion was huge, it was lucky no one was killed. Then there was explosion after explosion."

850 jobs at risk as Essex refinery closes

An oil refinery which went bust is to close after administrators failed to find a buyer or the cash needed to keep it going, putting around 850 jobs at risk.

The Coryton plant in Essex, which supplies 20% of fuel in London and the South East, was plunged into administration earlier this year by its Swiss owner Petroplus.

Administrators PwC said the site would be wound down over the next three months after the challenge of raising the £625 million needed to fund the refinery proved too much.

There are likely to be a "substantial" number of redundancies among the 500 workforce, PwC said, while around 350 contractors will learn their fate in the next few days.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/850-jobs-risk-refinery-closes-134201172.html

Dusty company to pay 6000GBP

A Wellingborough wood recycling company has been fined 3,000GBP and ordered to pay 3,000GBP costs for allowing wood dust to escape from its yard.

Larner Pallets (Recycling) Ltd admitted breaching the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for more than a year.

Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court heard (Thurs 24 May) that the company chipped waste wood at its site in Finedon Road Industrial Estate where neighbouring businesses complained that the dust was so heavy it looked like snow coming down.

Others said they could ‘taste’ the wood in the air, it caused pain and irritation to eyes, caused sneezing and covered cars, often difficult to remove as some of it contained sticky sap.

Two neighbouring businesses carry out specialist work on classic cars worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and could not afford to have layers of dust on them.

Mrs Miriam Tordoff, prosecuting for the Environment Agency told the court that in June 2010 the company had intimated that it would erect a building to overcome the dust problem but dust was still causing problems for neighbours more than a year later. Planning permission for a building was only granted in March 2012 and has not been built.

She said that even when the company had a dust suppression system there were several occasions when work was seen to be ongoing without the suppression equipment being used.

The court heard there was a history of dust complaints at the site, resulting in abatement notices being served by Wellingborough Borough Council under statutory nuisance legislation in 2003 and 2004, neither of which was complied with.

Mrs Tordoff said the council was going to bring legal proceedings but were unable to in the statutory time. Further complaints were received in 2005 and 2007 and when a final one was received in 2009, the matter was handed to the Environment Agency.

She said as recently as February 2012 an Agency officer had witnessed dust billowing in the air as a lorry was being loaded with wood chip. There was no evidence of dust suppression being used.

In mitigation Mr David McEwan on behalf of the company said they had offered their telephone number to neighbours to report dust escaping. The company has now arranged for a high netting fence to be put up.
 
After the hearing Environment officer John Jones said: “This prosecution was entirely avoidable and only started when it was apparent that continued advice and guidance was being ignored. Where such advice is continually ignored to the detriment of the public and surrounding businesses, the Environment Agency will prosecute to bring offenders into compliance."

Larner Pallets (Recycling) Ltd pleaded guilty to:

Between 17 June 2010 and 21 September 2011 you, being a person who keeps and treats controlled waste, failed in your duty to take all such measures applicable to you in that capacity as were reasonable in the circumstances in that you failed to prevent the escape of waste, namely dust from waste wood, from your control.

Contrary to section 34(1)(b) and (6) Environmental Protection Act 1990. Learn more about environmental legal compliance with Corporate Risk Systems range of environmental courses, for more information contact rs@crsrisk.com.

Lincolnshire illegal vodka factory fire started with a cigarette

An inquest for five men who died in an explosion at an illegal vodka factory has heard it was most likely started by one of them lighting a cigarette.

The five Lithuanian men died from the effects of smoke inhalation in the blast at an industrial estate in Boston, Lincolnshire, last July.

Fire chief Ian Woods said the blast was most likely caused by a build-up of flammable vapours ignited by a spark. The inquest also heard the men all had high blood alcohol levels at the time.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the Broadfield Lane Industrial Estate in Boston at about 19:00 BST on Wednesday 13 July 2011.

Erlandas Duzinskas, 19, Vaidas Krupenkinas, 39, Laimutis Simkus, 32, Ovidijus Mejeris, 26, and Ricardas Gecas, 24, all died in the blast.

The inquest at Spalding Magistrates Court also heard evidence from the only survivor, Rytas Gecas, who suffered 75% burns in the explosion. He said they had all smoked inside the unit while working and knew it was dangerous. He said he thought someone had lit a cigarette with a lighter before the blast.

CRS Director Stephen Asbury said "It is difficult to properly regulate anything in an illegal operation - tax, employment rights, or safety. What's clear is that once again, the case for health and safety is proven; with simple precautions, these five deaths were entirely preventable."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england- lincolnshire-18154900

New Zealand, Rena, Astrolabe, Senior Crew Jailed

The captain and navigational officer of a cargo ship which ran aground off New Zealand last year have each been sentenced to seven months in prison.

The Tauranga District Court heard that the men's gross incompetence bordered on recklessness, and that they then tried to cover up their mistakes by altering ship documents after the grounding.

The officers were in charge of the Liberian-flagged Rena when it hit the Astrolabe Reef seven months ago, spilling more than 350 tonnes of oil and hundreds of shipping containers. The ensuing oil slick killed thousands of birds and fouled beaches in the North Island's pristine Bay of Plenty. It has been described as New Zealand's worst environmental maritime disaster.

There were no words from Rena captain Mauro Balomaga and second officer Leonil Relon as they entered court, but their actions haunt a community still cleaning up oil and debris.

The court heard Balomaga took no action to avoid the reef when it appeared on radar, assuming it was a false signal or a small vessel. The court also heard Relon changed the ship's course to avoid late entry into Tauranga after the captain urged that corners be cut. The pair had pleaded guilty in February to a range of charges, including attempting to pervert the course of justice by altering navigation records after the accident. They also admitted to operating a ship in a dangerous manner and discharging harmful substances from the cargo vessel.

Prosecutors had been seeking at least a

two-year jail term for the pair. Defence lawyers argued for home detention, saying their clients had pleaded guilty, had apologised to local Maori affected by the spill, and were remorseful.

Maritime New Zealand director Keith Manch welcomed the sentences, saying the ship's officers had to be held accountable for their actions. "This grounding has had significant consequences for the Bay of Plenty community and the country as a whole," he said. "Today marks a milestone in the response, which is still underway."

Colin Reeder, who represents the local

Maori community in the Bay of Plenty, says his people have forgiven the men.

"They were only one cog in the machine that caused this disaster. We'd rather direct our anger and rage at the system that allowed this to happen," he said. "The two men made a mistake that was generated by the need to save time. The route cause must be fixed as the potential for disaster will still be there."

Tauranga mayor Stuart Crosby says some local businesses lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Daina Shipping Company has also been charged with discharging harmful substances. The offence carries a fine of

$480,000 and $80,000 for every day the offending continues. The wrecked ship's stern sank in heavy weather in April, causing more debris to wash ashore.