Anochrome Ltd and the cyanide spill
Anochrome Ltd and the cyanide spill
An update from Walsall
Morning Patchers — Kate here, a little later than usual because this morning, I was up almost before the crack of dawn to hear the latest from the Environment Agency on the toxic chemical spill in Walsall. We’ve brought you an end-of-week Big Story with a thorough update on the situation below. Before that, we have an update on the Inclusive Gathering church row (which I wrote about in this members-only story) and news of possible bin strikes in Birmingham. Plus, it’s just two weeks until Supersonic Festival brings weird and wonderful sounds to Digbeth (possibly for the last time). We’ll be back in your inboxes tomorrow with your weekend read about the testosterone-fuelled world of competitive arm wrestling in the West Midlands. Take care.
“Hi Birmingham Dispatch team, Your articles are always super insightful. Thanks for the great work! It is much needed and important.” — Dispatch member.
Brum in brief
⛪Inclusive Gathering: The Charity Commission has confirmed that they are now formally engaging with the trustees of the Birmingham Methodist Circuit charity following serious concerns raised about safeguarding failures, potential breaches of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, and the exclusion of survivors from Inclusive Gathering church activities. While the Commission clarified that they are not a prosecuting authority, they are scrutinizing how the trustees handled these critical issues, with potential regulatory consequences depending on their findings. This will involve a detailed review of how the trustees managed the safeguarding allegations, whether they complied with legal and regulatory requirements, and how they responded to the escalating tensions within the church community.
🚮Bin strike possible: Birmingham could face bin strikes if the council goes ahead with plans to rejig its waste services. The council has written to Unite the Union’s refuse service members to announce a consultation on restructuring its waste operations, which the union says will affect the pay of around 150 workers by thousands of pounds a year. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will defend our Birmingham refuse workers to the hilt.”
🎶Sound of the underground: Supersonic Festival — “Britain’s very best undergound festival”, according to The Quietus — is just two weeks away and you can prepare by checking out the full timetable here. Expect a plethora of independent artists from Bonnie "Prince" Billy to Gazelle Twin as well as a BBC Radio 6 Freak Zone pub quiz. Mercury Prize nominated Ian Lynch of Lankum who performed last year will also return, this time playing as One Leg One Eye. He said: “I can’t wait and already know that it’s going to be a highlight of my year."
Sadly, organiser Lisa Meyer has spoken out about how difficult it has become to plan the event in Digbeth since much of the area was bought up by property developers, and this could be the last time it takes place in the city. She said: “This could be our last stand in Digbeth, maybe even in Birmingham. Hey, if we can make it here, we can make it anywhere.” Book your tickets here — you might regret it otherwise.
Big story: Anochrome Ltd and the cyanide spill
Context: Chemicals — including sodium cyanide — have spilled into the waterways of Walsall. Metal finishing firm Anochrome Limited confirmed that a “chemical incident” occurred at their plant on Reservoir Place in Pleck in the early hours of Monday morning. Anochrome released a statement, saying: “Regrettably, as a result, some of the released chemicals entered a canal in Walsall. We are focused on limiting the impact of this incident and will provide further updates as they become available.”
The latest: At a briefing on Reservoir Place this morning, the Environment Agency (EA) director for the West Midlands, Marc Lidderth revealed he had received results from a toxicology report but these are not yet publicly available. He did say the chemicals haven’t gone as far as initially thought and some of the canal network has been reopened. However, around a 1km stretch will remain off-limits to the public. The EA is still investigating how the spill happened.
Where is closed off? Walsall Council has announced that the 12-mile stretch of closed off towpaths has been reduced to 1km, from James Bridge on Bentley Mill Way in Darlaston to the west to Rollingmill Street, Walsall to the east. The area is marked on the map below:
However, it is unsafe and illegal to remove and eat fish from the canals. The Canal & River Trust says it has arranged safe passage for boaters who want to leave the area and is working to reopen the canals to navigation outside the restricted area as quickly and safely as possible.
What about the chemicals? Sodium cyanide — familiar to fans of detective fiction — takes the form of white crystal-like solids with a faint almond odour. It is a highly toxic compound that is occasionally used as a pesticide for controlling predatory animals. Symptoms of poisoning include:
Weakness
Nausea
Confusion
Headaches
Difficulty breathing
Seizures
Sodium hydroxide has also been detected, and there may be zinc in the water too.
Long-term exposure to cyanide can cause damage to the nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It can also cause enlargement of the thyroid and irritation to the skin and eyes. Long-term effects include:
Headaches
Fatigue
Chest discomfort
Palpitations
Loss of appetite
Nosebleeds
Changes in blood cell count
Nose discharge and sores in the nose
Who is Anochrome? The Anochrome Group is a long-established family business dating back to 1946 that serves several different industries worldwide, including the construction and petrochemicals sectors. The group is the largest independent company of its kind in the UK and consists of six companies specialising in surface coating and metal finishing. One of those is Anochrome Ltd, the processing, personnel and product development arm of the business. Anochrome’s LinkedIn page reads: “Using the latest technology and equipment, we have a focus on sustainability and reducing our environmental impact.”
Anochrome Group has made the news before:
In 2012, one of its six companies, Wolverhampton Electroplating Limited, was fined £2,500 for illegally discharging waste into public sewers.
In 2013, Anochrome Ltd was ordered to pay £7,000 (including a fine and costs) after admitting to two counts of similar offences.
In 2018, Anochrome Ltd was fined £24,000 after a worker suffered multiple fractures to her leg when a trolley containing metal parts overturned and fell on top of her.
Who owns it? Robert Thomas Gray is the director of all the companies within the group, owning more than 70% of each.
How did the spill happen: Marc Lidderth told The Dispatch that the EA’s investigation into the cause of the spill was ongoing and he couldn’t say if enforcement action would be necessary or what that might look like. He said the spill was “unacceptable” and “robust action” would be taken if signs of noncompliance were discovered.
What action could be taken? The EA has the power to criminally prosecute the person or people responsible but only if they are satisfied there is a realistic prospect of conviction. They are more likely to prosecute when an offence has been committed deliberately, recklessly or because of serious negligence. Less serious actions include issuing warning notices or penalties. The EA can also issue a fine which, if not paid by the correct date, will normally result in a prosecution.
A historic case: Lidderth told The Dispatch a similar spill occurred in the River Trent in 2009 but because rivers are fast flowing, this meant the toxicity was diluted. Canal water flows slowly and is stagnant in places so the concentration could be higher and longer lasting in this case.
Wildlife worries: I saw birds swimming in the water beneath us — sadly they cannot be moved until the EA knows how toxic the water is because it would be unsafe for their employees who are currently conducting tests in full PPE. Approximately 100 fish have already died in the canal where the spill was first reported.
Dr Delia Garratt, chief executive of Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust told the BBC the spillage would have a “devastating impact” on wildlife. “Environmental watchdogs must be empowered and sufficiently resourced to ensure they can monitor and inspect polluters, and enforce penalties upon those who break the law,” she said.
Walsall Council advised anyone who has had direct physical contact with the stretch of water and is feeling unwell to call 111, or 999 if it is an emergency. Council leader Garry Perry said: “Pollution of this kind is unacceptable and the impact on wildlife and the environment can be severe.” He added that if “noncompliance” is uncovered, the authorities will take “robust action”.
A ‘human right’: Environmental campaign groups are unsurprisingly angry. We spoke to Chris Crean at West Midlands Friends of the Earth, who argued that a healthy environment should be a human right. If that was the case, the authorities would have a “stronger obligation” to regulate companies and implement other processes that, in a nutshell, “would have given people in the area better access to environmental information before this happened so a concerned resident or campaign group could have spotted a problem and forced the company to act much earlier.”
What’s next? The EA is focused on two things: figuring out how best to protect the environment and the extent of the chemical effect on this 1km stretch of the watercourse. We are following this story closely and will update you as we get more information.
Do you have any information about the spill or Anochrome that may be useful? We’d like to hear from you. Get in touch at editor@birminghamdispatch.co.uk
Brilliant, detailed, probing journalism. Congratulations and thank you!
Thanks Kate. This company's response a few days ago after the incident said 'it (the spill) was regrettable' I thought that was a dreadfully inadequate response personally.
The company has form , why is it happening?