'We cannot let canal cyanide spill happen again'

Councillor Garry Perry said the investigation needed to ensure such a canal spill did not happen again

A council leader has said an investigation into a cyanide spill in Walsall Canal cannot result in just "measly words".

Leader of Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Garry Perry said the ongoing Environment Agency (EA) probe of events at Anachrome Ltd, the firm to which the spill was traced, needed to lead to a comprehensive conclusion.

"We always talk about lessons being learnt but they are only learnt if actions are taken that are meaningful to prevent it happening again," he said.

His comments came after dredging work began in early April to remove silt contaminated with cyanide at the bottom of a one-mile stretch of the canal network.

About 4,000 litres (879 gallons) of the toxic chemical were released into a 12-mile (19km) stretch of the canal on 12 August 2024, the EA said.

Parts of the canal from Walsall locks to the lock flights at Rushall/Ryders Green and Perry Barr in Birmingham have since reopened, but a one-mile stretch of the canal in the Pleck area of Walsall borough remains shut.

The spillage, on 12 August 2024, caused thousands of fish to die

The dredging work by the Canal & River Trust (CRT), which has spent £500,000 on the clean-up, will take several weeks before the sediment and water is re-tested, with a view to lifting the closure.

Henriette Breukelaar, regional director at the CRT, said the events of last year amounted to a "significant incident" that had a "massive impact on the boating community and local people".

The water and silt will be tested after dredging, to determine a timeline for when the waterway can be reopened

Karen Jackson, waste and contamination officer at the CRT, said: "We deal with hundreds of polluted incidents every year but the vast majority is oil spills, run-off from agricultural land but this is unheard of, I've never come across cyanide releases.

"I just hope the post-dredge samples show that the sediment has been cleaned up and we can reopen to boats.

"It will be great to see boats back in this section again."

At the time of the spill, Anachrome Ltd, which deals in surface coatings and sealings, said "were working with all relevant authorities and agencies to minimise and contain the spill".

A crowdfunding campaign in the aftermath of the incident raised £25,000 for the CRT.