Pollution in the Rea
I was very glad to be joined on the campaign trail by Feargal Sharkey.
Feargal is a prominent environmental campaigner who in recent years has dedicated himself to cleaning up our seas and rivers.
A lot of investment has gone in to turning the River Rea into a true community amenity, and volunteer groups have opened up the Rea to more people. Volunteers also help to monitor water quality.
Unfortunately, pollution is a serious problem. There were an estimated two sewage discharges each day into the Rea last year, while Severn Trent’s Chief Executive received a package worth £3.2 million.
Labour will:
Give regulators powers to block the payment of bonuses to executives who pollute our waterways and bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers.
Impose automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing and ensure independent monitoring of every outlet.
As a trade union official, I’ve worked with water company staff and Environment Agency workers who are sick of the rule-breaking and short-cuts that are degrading our natural environment.
I’m proud to a member of SERA - Labour’s environmental campaign - and I’m grateful to Feargal for visiting Northfield and meeting some of the volunteers who are working to maintain and improve the Rea.