Diesel Spill Devastates South London River Impacting Wildlife

A London river suffered a bad diesel spill. An expert says it could hurt the water and wildlife for years. The spill came from a bus depot. People worry about the impact on the river. Politicians are now demanding accountability. They fear the spill ruined conservation work.

Dr. Jack Hogan studies the River Wandle. He works with the South East Rivers Trust. Dr. Hogan says 4,000 liters of diesel polluted the river on February 18th. This damage could last for years. He thinks it’s the worst spill since 2007.

Contractors are cleaning up the river at four locations. They are using booms and special pads to remove the diesel from the water. The sites include Water Meads, The Paper Mill, Morden Hall Park, and Dean City Farm.

Dr. Hogan says the cleanup is only a partial fix. Diesel breaks into small particles that go into the water. These particles affect fish and other creatures, as diesel is very toxic to rivers.

A study showed a big loss of river creatures after a spill. It took years for the river to recover. Once diesel breaks down, it is hard to remove, but bacteria will eventually break it down.

One eel died because of the spill. People saw birds struggling to clean off the diesel. Experts think most of the mature fish survived. The diesel leaked from a storage tank at a bus depot. It went into storm drains and then flowed into the river.

The local council wants people and pets to stay away from the affected area. The Environment Agency investigates the spill, and local politicians want answers about what went wrong. Bobby Dean wants the Environment Secretary to see the damage.

Dean says the spill undid years of volunteer work. He believes those responsible must pay. Other politicians also want accountability for the spill.

People should act to protect the river, says Dr. Hogan. A bleach leak in 2007 killed many fish. He calls that a “big trauma incident” and felt shocked and outraged by the diesel spill. The Wandle River is often impacted.

The Environment Agency is working to clean the spill and is also investigating the cause. The source is likely a bus depot storage tank, and they will likely work through the weekend.

Dr. Hogan wants the river to be more resilient. He wants to restore natural processes and calls the river precious.