Fears ‘rivers to run black as slurry is cleared’

A PLANNED crackdown on agricultural pollution in Wales could see the country’s rivers “running black” at certain times of the year, it has been claimed.

Critics believe the measures will force farmers to dump slurry on their land, which will leach into waterways and discolour streams and rivers.

They fear a repeat of what happened in the south Wales coalfields, where rivers once ran black with mining waste and were so polluted that no wildlife could survive.

New regulations are to be introduced in Wales this spring to counter the “unacceptable” pollution of rivers, lakes and streams by farming activities. The proposals have been welcomed by the Wildlife Trusts Wales, which said agri pollution has caused “catastrophic damage” to habitats and wildlife.

Farm unions have labelled the move “indiscriminate and punitive” that will add “exorbitant costs” to every Welsh farm due to the need to build new infrastructure such as large slurry stores.

And Plaid Cymru said an unintended outcome could be unofficial “National Slurry Spreading Weeks” during the year as farmers attempt to comply with the new regulations.

This is because landowners will be banned from spreading slurry during “closed periods” when the land is wet and run-off is more likely.

“We all know that the weeks before and after the proposed closed periods will be National Slurry Spreading Weeks in Wales,” said Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid’s environment spokesman.

“As has happened in other countries, the rivers will run black during those weeks as farmers are forced to clear their slurry stores before a closed period, and empty their overflowing stores afterwards.”

A transitional period will start from April 1, 2021, to give farmers time to prepare, and to invest in new infrastructure.

The Welsh Government said the new regulations will be “proportionate to the risks of pollution” and good farmers will see “minimal impact”.

Millions of pounds have already been spent helping farmers improve their slurry stores.

But farm leaders said the regulations are “draconian” and go way beyond those recommended by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Also angering farmers were the repeated pledges made by Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths not to introduce the new measures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Gruffydd accused the minister of “breaking her word”.

Addressing Mrs Griffiths at a virtual plenary session of the Senedd, he said: “I’ve found 10 examples on the record where you told a full Senedd meeting or a Senedd committee that you wouldn’t introduce the NVZ regulations during the pandemic.

“Yet, on the very day the Chief Medical Officer for Wales declared that there was a long way to go until the worst of the Covid pandemic was over, you tabled these regulations. You misled us all and you broke your promise to the farmers of Wales.”