UK oil refinery broke toxic pollution limits dozens of times
Reports obtained by investigative group SourceMaterial say the Ellesmere Port refinery released pollutants into nearby waterways and the air on numerous occasions in 2023 and 2024. The Environment Agency has confirmed it is investigating.
The reports describe releases of substances including cyanide, benzene and oil. They say sulphur dioxide levels reached seven times the permitted amount, cyanide exceeded its limit by more than eight times, and oil surpassed its allowance by over thirteen times.
The refinery, operated by EET Fuels, is near streams that flow into the River Mersey and its estuary. The agency’s findings also record local complaints about odours and indicate oil may have reached groundwater.
A separate report says that on 12 September 2024, over a tonne of oil entered Thornton Brook and spread into the Mersey Estuary. The area supports protected birds and species including Atlantic salmon and European eels, according to Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s chief executive.
The Environment Agency’s investigation is ongoing. The reports document repeated permit breaches, but the article does not say what enforcement action may follow.
Key points
- Agency reports describe repeated pollution-limit breaches at the Ellesmere Port refinery.
- Pollutants reportedly reached local waterways, the Mersey Estuary, air and groundwater.
- The Environment Agency says it is investigating; future enforcement is not specified.