Canal reopens after toxic chemical spill

12-MILE STRETCH WAS CLOSED AS 526 TONNES OF SILT REMOVED

- ISABELLE BATES

A STRETCH of a Midland canal is set to reopen to boats today, almost a year after a devastating chemical spill.

Local wildlife was drastically affected when up to 4,000 litres of highly toxic zinc cyanide solution entered the water in Pleck, Walsall.

To contain the pollution, a 12-mile stretch of the canal was initially closed to the public and boaters.

In the months since, more than 500 tonnes of silt has since been removed from the canal and safely disposed of.

And now Canal & River Trust has revealed that the area is finally ready to reopen.

At the time of the spill in August last year, multiple teams worked tirelessly to limit the spread of the spill and protect the canal’s ecosystem.

They include the Trust, Environment Agency, Walsall and Sandwell Councils, UK Health and Safety Agency, emergency services, Severn Trent Water and contractors working on behalf of the polluter.