Molson Coors Brewers Ltd has expressed “regret” for polluting the River Wey after the beer giant’s UK arm was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £31,586.49.
Appearing before Basingstoke Magistrates Court on 17 March, the company pleaded guilty to two offences: discharging waste from its Alton Brewery in Hampshire into the Lasham Drain – a tributary of the River Wey that carries surface water runoff – and breaching the condition of its environmental permit with respect to monitoring the Lasham Drain for fungus.
“At Molson Coors, we are serious about our commitment to environmental compliance and we have a long and respectful history of maintaining the water course around the Alton brewery site,” MCB Ltd said in a statement. “We regret this isolated incident occurred. We wholly respect the magistrates’ decision and recognise this matter is now closed.”
The case was brought by the Environment Agency, which first received reports of the presence of fungus in the stream flowing outside Waterside Court, Alton, before passing along the River Wey towards Holybourne.
The court heard there had been gutters on the brewer’s building located next to a trade waste chamber that ran directly to the Lasham Drain, which had been removed when the building had been extended and the chamber was converted from a storm water drain into a trade waste drain. When the alterations were made, the contractors had used a liner that did not seal the chamber to divert the trade waste, which meant the waste ran into the tributary.
Molson Coors had also failed to respond to regular monitoring and visual inspections that it was obliged to carry out as a requirement of its environmental permit, the Environment Agency claimed.
“We take these types of incidents very seriously and will do everything within our powers to safeguard the environment and people affected, and that includes bringing those who harm the environment to account for their actions,” said Paul Greaves, senior Environment Agency officer.
“It is important that the courts send out a clear message to all companies operating in this sector. Regulations are there to protect the environment and the courts will act firmly where regulations are breached and where the environment is either damaged or put at risk of damage.”
Molson Coors acknowledged it was a “contributor to an already existing problem”.
“We will continue to watch with interest as the Environment Agency pursues its investigation into other third parties’ involvement in this case,” the brewer added.
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