Slurry pollutes 4km of a river in mid Wales

A slurry spill into the Afon Peris in mid Wales has polluted at least 4km of the river, Natural Resources Wales experts confirmed today.

The impact of the pollution on the river which flows through the coastal village of Llanon has been exacerbated by low river levels following a period of dry weather.

Dr Carol Fielding, Ceredigion Environment Team Leader for Natural Resources Wales said:

“We were alerted on Thursday by members of the public who noticed pollution and dead fish in the Afon Peris.

“NRW officers attended and were able to identify the source of the pollution at a farm and worked with the farmer to put emergency measures in place to prevent further pollution discharging.

“Officers will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that this short-term fix is effective and will discuss longer-term measures to prevent such an incident happening again.

“We will continue to assess the impact of the pollution on the local environment and wildlife, however, there could still be some slurry within the river which will take time to work its way through the system.

“The farm involved are cooperating with us as we investigate why this happened.

“Once the investigation is complete, we will decide what further action needs to be taken, including any enforcement action.”

NRW officers are working with Ceredigion County Council – who have closed the beach in Llanon for public access - to limit the effect of the pollution on local communities.

People can report an environmental incident to NRW freephone 24-hour hotline on 03000 65 3000.