I see WUF have done the sensible thing and   banned salmon fishing on their beats until further notice.

Better safe than sorry so they say.!

A glimmer of hope perhaps;

David Davies MP

Good afternoon all

 

Following my previous email correspondence, I would like to provide you with an update on the action I have been taking in relation to sewage discharge and pollution in the River Usk and River Wye.

 

I remain deeply concerned about sewage discharging into our waterways and I know some of you would have seen recent documentaries which have highlighted unacceptable levels of pollution in the rivers Usk and Wye. 

 

I am delighted the UK Government has committed to tackling this problem by adding several new legal duties to the Environment Bill. A Storm Overflows Taskforce has also been set up in England to drive improvements by bringing together the government, water industry, regulators and environmental groups. You can see more information here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-environment-bill-provisions-to-tackle-storm-overflows

 

However, this is a devolved issue, which means the new legislation will not be extended to protect our waterways here in the Monmouth constituency. I am therefore calling on the Welsh Government to match this commitment and to introduce the same measures to improve water quality in Wales. A copy of my letter is attached for your information.

 

Please be assured I will continue to liaise with stakeholders such as the Leader of Monmouthshire County Council, Member of the Senedd Peter Fox OBE MS and Natural Resources Wales. I have also arranged to meet with Welsh Water today and will again bring this to their attention.

 

I will provide a further update in due course.

 

Regards David Davies

 

David T C Davies MP

Member for Monmouth

The Grange

16 Maryport Street

Usk

Monmouthshire

NP15 1AB

 

Constituency telephone: 01291 672817

Email: david.davies.mp@parliament.uk

Website: www.david-davies.org.uk

Twitter: @davidtcdavies

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From: DAVIES, David
Sent: 06 May 2021 12:22
Cc: DAVIES, Ella <daviesel@parliament.uk>; DULIN, Laura <dulinl@parliament.uk>
Subject: UPDATE | River Usk

 

Good afternoon all

 

I apologise for the group email but I have received a large volume of correspondence in relation to the sewage discharge in the River Usk and thought this would be the quickest way of keeping you updated on the action I have been taking.

 

As you will be aware, an incident was reported of sewage discharging into the River Usk from an emergency overflow (EO) for a pumping station serving the main sewage network for Usk town.  I was first made aware of this incident at the start of 2021 and subsequently raised it with officials at Natural Resources Wales (NRW). I was very concerned to receive information from NRW advising no discharge permit was in place for this site. However, I was informed that visits would be undertaken and a full investigation would be launched. 

 

Following the BBC Panorama programme, I contacted NRW immediately to request an urgent update of the situation – a copy of the reply is attached for your information. I’m told a formal warning was issued to Welsh Water alongside advice to submit a permit application as soon as possible. However, the investigation remains ongoing and NRW is still considering its enforcement response.

 

It is right that the River Usk is enjoyed by all in the community, including wild swimmers, and I share your concerns about this incident. I have therefore written to the Chief Executive of Welsh Water to ask if he can provide me with an update of the action being taken to find a long-term solution to prevent this from happening again in the future.

 

A copy of my letter is attached for your information and I shall be in touch as soon as I receive a reply.

 

Regards David Davies