A video of brown muck pouring out of a pipe into the River Dee near a construction site has prompted pollution concerns.
A ghillie working on the River Dee just to the west of Banchory last week recorded this footage of a cloudy substance flowing rapidly into the river after a period of heavy rainfall.
River Dee impacted by pollution from construction at Inchmarlo. Mitigation measures were inadequate, a deluge of silt & sediment flowed into the Dee. @ScottishEPA @Kirkwood_homes this MUST be resolved to prevent further incidents occurring! #CallingSEPtoAction #HelpOurRiverSEPA pic.twitter.com/ZZxgC8vq4o
— The River Dee (@RiverDeeTeam) October 27, 2022
And yesterday, a similar incident was filmed in the same area, also following very rainy weather.
Debbie Cooper, development officer with the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and the River Dee Trust, said she believes the incidents are connected to a nearby Kirkwood Homes construction site at Inchmarlo.
She worries about the potential impact of pollution on the important ecosystems of the waterway.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said it is aware of problems at the construction site, and its officers have attended on a “number of occasions”.
Fears for salmon, otters and mussels
Debbie fears the substances entering the Dee could have an adverse effect on the animals and plants that depend on the waterway for their survival.
And she explained that last week’s and yesterday’s pollution “deluges” are far from isolated incidents.
She said: “We’ve had problems here before, this certainly isn’t the first time.
“As soon as there’s a big dump of rain, it all just washes out, straight into the Dee.
“It can affect the ecosystem in the Dee, we’re talking about all kinds of birds and wildlife that could be affected.
“We’ve stopped fishing just now because it’s spawning season, so the salmon are making their way up the river to spawn.
“If they’re spawning and laying their eggs in the river, then this deluge of dirty stuff could impact those eggs, and that’s the future generation.
“We’ve got otters here too, and we’ve got freshwater pearl mussels that are really important to the ecosystem.”
Sepa engaging with construction site developer over Dee water concerns
A spokeswoman for Sepa said that the environment watchdog is “aware of surface water run-off from a construction site causing silty water to enter the River Dee at Banchory during and following heavy rain”.
She explained that officers have attended the site “on a number of occasions, resulting in improvements to on-site surface water treatment systems”.
The spokeswoman continued: “However, these can be overwhelmed during periods of prolonged, heavy rain and Sepa continues to engage with the developer on this issue to ensure compliance and minimise any potential impact on the environment.”
Kirkwood Homes did not respond to a request for comment.
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