Environment Agency keeping Yorkshire’s rivers going (From York Press)

Environment Agency keeping Yorkshire’s rivers going

8:13am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Eco info

Staff from the Environment Agency are tackling blockages along 2,300 kilometres of Yorkshire’s rivers as part of their annual clear-up to reduce flooding.

They are looking for objects that could cause flooding by blocking the channel or trapping more debris and building up a dam.

The hazards can be natural ones, such as fallen trees and sometimes there are man-made problems such as abandoned vehicles or fly-tipped waste such as fridges and furniture.

Peter Holmes, operations delivery manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Sometimes we find potentially dangerous waste such as unlabelled drums, that need to be removed and investigated, and we always find shopping trolleys.”

The clearance work is costly and time-consuming, and Peter is asking the public to help out. He said: “The build-up of waste in our rivers is not just unsightly, it can also greatly increase the risk of flooding. We can all do our bit by disposing of waste correctly, but if people do spot large obstructions that could result in flooding they can phone our incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”