Work starts remove contaminated silt from Walsall Canal

Work gets underway to remove toxic sediment from Walsall Canal, caused by its cyanide disaster.

This has started with dredging to clear what is estimated as 4,000 litres of contaminant, including highly toxic sodium cyanide and zinc cyanide, leaked into the canal last August.

One mile remains closed

As a result, around one mile of the canal in the Pleck area of Walsall has had to remain closed for boats for the past eight months, Keith Gudgin reports.

Dredging the canal is an essential step before reopening the waterway to boats, as boats would scatter the sediment further.

A major pollution incident was declared at the time and while the towpath has since reopened, the canal has remained closed to boats and devoid of wildlife. The company identified as the source of the pollution is under investigation by the Environment Agency.

Canal & River Trust is overseeing dredging operations to remove cyanide-contaminated silt from the canal bed. This is a crucial step in the canal’s ecological recovery, required by the Environment Agency, and a major step towards reopening the waterway to boats.

The dredging is due to take several weeks, after which the sediment and water will be tested once again. The test results will determine if further steps are needed and when the canal can reopen, with Henriette Breukelaar, regional director, explaining:

Delighted

“We’re delighted that dredging of the Walsall Canal starts this week; this is a major milestone in the canal’s recovery.

“The awful spillage of cyanide into the community’s wonderful and historic canal has left this section ecologically devastated, wiping out wildlife, including the microorganisms that form the foundation of the canal’s ecosystem.

“So far, we have spent around half a million pounds of charitable funds, covering costs such as staff time, dam installation, materials, contractors, and lab testing. This is a huge resource that has been diverted from other essential activity to keep the region’s canals open and safe.

The trust understands the closure has been frustrating for boaters and the local community, but it hopes the dredging will move them closer to reopening the canal.