Walsall Canal re-opened yesterday

THE CONTAMINATED Walsall Canal was finally reopened yesterday, Wednesday.

This was the final section from Tame Valley 1 Bridge to Birchills Junction Bridge that had been closed since cyanide was released into the waterway during early August last year.

Cyanide contaminated silt

Canal & River Trust tell the canal has been dredged to remove cyanide contaminated silt, further reducing risks to wildlife and supporting ecological recovery.

Approximately 526 tonnes of silt have been removed and safely disposed of. Teams of volunteers are currently working to clear rubbish and debris that accumulated while the canal was closed, as well as cutting back overgrown vegetation.

The clean-up has so far cost the trust hundreds of thousands of pounds—funds that would otherwise have been used to repair our canals, it reports. (Crowd funding did raise many thousands of pounds to help with the cost.)

Reclaim the money

The trust reports that it will seek to reclaim this money from the polluting company and reinvest it in caring for the canals in the West Midlands.

The source of the spill was confirmed as coming from Anochrome Ltd, that admitted it had 'regrettably' released chemicals into the Walsall Canal and had made all facilities available to the authorities and agencies.