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Illegal Dump Threatens Thames River Ecosystem, Authorities Urged to Act
14 Nov
Summary
- Illegal rubbish dump created about a month ago by organized crime group
- Toxic runoff risks poisoning wildlife and entire Thames catchment
- Environment Agency must act quickly to prevent environmental disaster
According to reports, an illegal rubbish dump has been created about a month ago on the banks of the Thames River, threatening an environmental catastrophe. Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, raised the issue in parliament, describing the situation as "threatening an environmental disaster".
The charity Friends of the Thames has sounded the alarm, with chief executive Laura Reineke stating that this is "an environmental catastrophe unfolding in plain sight". She warned that every day the dump remains, the risk of toxic runoff entering the river system increases, potentially poisoning wildlife and the entire Thames catchment.
The Environment Agency has been urged to act swiftly, not in "months or years, which is their usual reaction time". Experts caution that the longer the authorities take to address the illegal dump, the greater the threat to the fragile Thames ecosystem.
