Marc Lidderth from the Environment Agency says the “unacceptable” toxic chemical spill in a West Midlands canal will be thoroughly investigated. A major incident was declared after sodium cyanide was found in the water near Walsall on Wednesday. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00We have a number of chemicals that we believe are in the system here now,
00:04sodium cyanide being one of the serious ones that's got a risk to public health,
00:08along with sodium hydroxide and possibly zinc as well, and we've got people along the canal here
00:14taking samples as we speak to look at and understand how much of that chemical was in
00:18this water here. With regards to where that's come from, that's come from Anachrome Limited,
00:23a company that the Environment Agency regulates. It is unacceptable that this has entered the water
00:27course and we're doing investigations as to what has actually caused that and why it escaped from
00:31their site into the canal system here. We are carrying out a very thorough investigation as
00:36to the cause of this. If we find any wrongdoing then we will take all the necessary enforcement
00:41action against the company because this pollution is unacceptable.