Biodiesel fuel provider for 2007 Al Gore Live Earth concert at Wembley poured 4 barrels of toxic chemicals down a drain that seeped into a river killing hundreds of fish including a protected kingfisher.
11/3/2007, "Fine for Dumping Glycerine May Force UK Biodiesel Firm Out of Business," The Western Mail via soyagreen.com
.
"One of Britain's leading environment companies was fined yesterday for tipping dangerous chemicals which killed fish and wildlife. .
The recycling firm - which powered this year's Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium - poured four barrels of toxic glycerine down a drain. The chemicals seeped into a river, killing hundreds of trout, minnows and other wildlife including a protected kingfisher.
.
Bio Tech Oils UK Ltd, which turns used cooking oil into bio-diesel, claimed the "excessive" pounds 19,000 fine could put it out of business.
Prosecutor Mohammed Yakub said, "The company kept chemicals not used for bio-diesel in large containers kept in their yard.
"The contents went into a drain which runs into a nearby stream. It caused pollution and a significant fish kill over a 5km stretch of river.
"An officer who attended witnessed floating dead fish including brown trout and minnows, dead frogs and a dead kingfisher covered in glycerine fat."
Magistrates at Abergavenny heard the clean-up cost was pounds 11,000.
The company, based in Tredegar, admitted three charges of emitting a noxious substance into the River Sirhowy on June 5. It was fined pounds 19,000 and ordered to pay pounds 1,881.66 costs.
Gwydion Hughes, defending, told the court a junior employee had emptied the four full containers due to a "sad lack of training".
He said, "The company has since implemented a system to address this error and the employee is no longer with the company."
After the case the company's managing director Steve Berrow, 49, said it may not survive because of the hefty fine.
He said, "I may have killed some fish but the magistrates may have killed this company.
"We have not made a profit since we started in July 2005 although we have considerably reduced the carbon footprint of Wales, effectively taking 1,500 cars off the roads."
The company, which employs five people, was set up last year and is now the biggest refiner of bio-diesel in Wales. It provided all the fuel for the Live Earth concert at Wembley."
"Copyright © 2007 Western Mail & Echo Ltd, Source: The Financial Times Limited "
================================
11/3/2007, "Eco Firm Fined for Polluting," The Sun UK
"A RECYCLING firm that fuelled the Live Earth concert was fined yesterday for polluting a river with poisonous chemicals. A trainee worker at Bio Tech Oils UK – which turns used cooking oil into diesel – poured four barrels of toxic glycerine down a drain. Hundreds of fish, frogs and birds died over a three-mile stretch of a river near Tredegar, South Wales.
The firm admitted emitting a noxious substance and was fined £19,000 by JPs in Abergavenny. The award-winning company, which supplied all the generator fuel for July’s Live Earth gig at Wembley, now faces going bust."
============================
8/18/2008, "Biodiesel producer goes into administration," Walesonline.co.uk
.
"BIODIESEL producer Bio Tech Oils has ceased trading with the loss of seven jobs. The Tredegar-based company which created biodiesel from waste
vegetable oil was among the first companies to bring biodiesel to Wales
on a commercial basis. The company also supplied fuel for the generators
at the Live Earth concert in London.
By using waste vegetable oil as its main raw material, biodiesel is largely renewable, unlike existing fossil fuels. In addition, the use of what is ordinarily a waste product, which would otherwise be need to be disposed of in some other way, means that the use of biodiesel is beneficial to the environment. The company was forced to go into administration with Tim Ball and Rod Weston of chartered accountants Mazars appointed joint administrators.
Mr Ball, business recovery partner in the Bristol office of Mazars is seeking a buyer for the business. Mr Ball said: "It is very sad to see an independent company fail in this way and it is very much hoped that a buyer can be found for the benefit of its customer base and, of course, its creditors.
"Any interested parties willing to purchase all or part of the business should contact me as soon as possible. Recent increases in the price of raw materials have not helped the company.""
By using waste vegetable oil as its main raw material, biodiesel is largely renewable, unlike existing fossil fuels. In addition, the use of what is ordinarily a waste product, which would otherwise be need to be disposed of in some other way, means that the use of biodiesel is beneficial to the environment. The company was forced to go into administration with Tim Ball and Rod Weston of chartered accountants Mazars appointed joint administrators.
Mr Ball, business recovery partner in the Bristol office of Mazars is seeking a buyer for the business. Mr Ball said: "It is very sad to see an independent company fail in this way and it is very much hoped that a buyer can be found for the benefit of its customer base and, of course, its creditors.
"Any interested parties willing to purchase all or part of the business should contact me as soon as possible. Recent increases in the price of raw materials have not helped the company.""
.
No comments:
Post a Comment