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Reposted by River Action

Leigh Day @leigh-day.bsky.social · 20h

The biggest environmental pollution claim ever brought in the UK has been filed at the High Court, BBC News reports.

Leigh Day partner Oliver Holland and solicitors Celine O'Donovan and Benji Gourgey represent thousands of claimants taking action.

https://leighdaylaw.info/3VRwm2r

River Wye pollution prompts UK's largest environmental lawsuit

Livestock and water companies are accused of “extensive” pollution in the Wye, Lugg and Usk rivers.

leighdaylaw.info

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 19h

Great work @leigh-day.bsky.social 👏. This is a huge step forward for clean rivers and communities across the UK.

Accountability is finally catching up with those responsible for pollution. 👩‍⚖️

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Reposted by River Action

Save The Wye Coalition @savethewye.bsky.social · 21h

“This is the largest legal action concerning environmental pollution ever brought in the UK. In a context where government and regulators have failed to prevent degradation of our rivers the court has become last avenue for justice”
@ollyholland.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

River Wye pollution prompts UK's largest environmental lawsuit

Livestock and water companies are accused of “extensive” pollution in the Wye, Lugg and Usk rivers.

www.bbc.co.uk

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 19h

🚨 NEWS! The UK’s biggest-ever legal case over environmental pollution has hit the High Court.

Nearly 4,000 people are suing Avara Foods, Freemans of Newent & Welsh Water over the state of the Wye, Lugg & Usk - rivers choked by chicken waste & sewage.

🔗 - www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

River Wye pollution prompts UK's largest environmental lawsuit

Livestock and water companies are accused of “extensive” pollution in the Wye, Lugg and Usk rivers.

www.bbc.co.uk

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 2d

Our Head of Communities was in Manchester this week for the Conservative Party Conference. 🌳

She participated in important conversations on how agriculture can play its part in tackling river pollution and how the water sector needs to be overhauled to truly deliver for people and nature.🌍🤝

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 2d

🚨NEWS! 'Token' £10m fine has been channelled towards restoring waterways affected by sewage pollution 💰

Although we welcome funding for the water restoration fund, penalties must be on a scale that actually hurts polluting water companies and drives change.

🔗 - www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2116...

Water companies mocked over 'token' £10m fine for polluting waterways

Projects across the country have benefited from money paid by water companies for polluting the nation's rivers, lakes and seas.

www.express.co.uk

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 5d

Why is a policy on special administration need? 👇

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 5d

🔍 Help us find it by printing off the poster, snapping a photo, tagging DEFRA and using #MissingPolicy so that they may finally discover it.

Print the poster here 👉https://drive.google.com/file/u/1/d/10Ny_9bgT4YTtGwSTv8biiuboKCex3Edr/view?usp=sharing

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 5d

🚨 MISSING! 🚨

We’ve checked Downing Street, DEFRA, and even the lost property office… still no sign of the Government's policy for special administration. Has anyone seen it? 🤷‍♂️

🏆 REWARD FOR DISCOVERY: Clean rivers & public trust

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 6d

Having a clear policy would:

✅ Make special administration a credible rescue tool
✅ Incentivise better water company performance
✅ Restore public trust
✅ Help to clean up our rivers

The High Court will now decide if our case can proceed to a full hearing.

River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 6d

🚨 UPDATE - The Government responds to our legal challenge ⚖️

Remarkably, it has been claimed AGAIN that the Government has no policy for when and how to trigger special administration for failing water companies - despite evidence to the contrary and the legal requirement to publish one.

MISSING: Policy for special administration (or is it?) - River Action UK

River Action’s legal challenge In July, River Action launched its legal challenge over the Government’s failure to explain when it will trigger special administration for Thames Water and other failin...

riveractionuk.com

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 7d

Our CEO and Head of Legal had some great conversations including:
🤝 Discussing our vision for the Thames with Deputy Mayor, Mete Coban
💬 Diving deep into water sector reform with Minister for Water, Emma Hardy
🗣️ Catching up with various Labour MPs who are members of the APPG on Water Pollution

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 7d

At the Labour Conference, it was clear that rivers remain at the forefront of the political agenda - new Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said cleaning up our water was her top priority and even the event spaces were named after rivers! 📈💧

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 8d

Thank you @fightingdirty.bsky.social for sharing 🙏

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 8d

THIS IS SHOCKING! 😳

See those white and blue pieces? That’s plastic.... In sewage sludge that is being spread on our farmland and often ending up in our rivers. 💩😱

🛑 THIS NEEDS TO STOP 🛑 Add your name to the petition - act.gp/4nHfsAc

📸 Credit: Fighting Dirty
#SewageSludge #ToxicSludge

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 12d

🏅 Beyond the Finish Line - From Olympic gold to protecting our rivers. 🏊‍♂️🌍

At this year’s @blueearthsummit.bsky.social, we’ll be in conversation with Olympic legend Sir Steve Redgrave to explore how sport, community, and action can save our rivers. 💧

Get your ticket here 👉 blueearthsummit.com

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 13d

📢 Failing water companies must be put into Special Administration, debt wiped, investment redirected to fix leaky pipes, and regulators given real teeth to enforce the law.

🙅‍♂️ The time for half-measures is over. 🙅‍♂️

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 13d

🚨 BREAKING NEWS! Shocking new evidence suggests Environment Agency failed to attend many serious pollution incidents, relying on water companies’ word instead.

Internal EA rules say staff should attend all serious incidents, yet in 2024 they missed nearly a third of them. 🫣

🔗 - bit.ly/4nnmqtC

Environment Agency failed to visit serious pollution incidents, leaked files show

Data from inside England's environment watchdog show an agency struggling to monitor serious pollution.

www.bbc.co.uk

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 14d

Hay Festival Winter Weekend! 🌿💙

Our Deputy Chair, Jim Murray will be joining @nicolacutcher.bsky.social in a conversation to spotlight the crisis facing our rivers and the hope for change.

🗓 Saturday 29 November, 2.30pm
📍 Hay Castle
🔗 Find out more: www.hayfestival.com/winter-weeke...

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 15d

In Chicago, decades of clean-up have turned a toxic river into a place where 300 people just swam for the first time in 100 years. 🌊

We can do the same here in the UK, our rivers deserve it. 💙

Leana Hosea @leanahosea.bsky.social · 16d

On Sunday, Chicago hosted an organised swim in the Chicago River - once so polluted it was 'untouchable', decades of environmental protections brought the river back to life - now those protections are in peril.

share.google/MlGYSEx4kSv2...

Hundreds plunge in Chicago River for first official swim in nearly 100 years

Group participates in previously unthinkable mile-long swim after US made key progress to clean polluted rivers

share.google

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Reposted by River Action

Leana Hosea @leanahosea.bsky.social · 15d

Better drainage, filtration systems, public transport, walking + cycling routes, cleaning roads - just some of the ways we can stop this filth entering our rivers every time it rains. More information on preventing runoff at: www.stormwatershepherds.org.uk/2022/04/25/t...

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 15d

Our Head of Campaigns and Head of Communities have been at the Lib Dem Party Conference, speaking with MPs and councillors to help drive ambition to rescue our rivers at both a national and local level. 📈💧

And yes… we also braved the water with @sascampaigns.bsky.social for their Dip a Day! 🏊‍♀️❄️

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 22d

Communities and campaigners like @saveloughneagh.com are fighting to protect this precious ecosystem.

Please follow and support their work. 💚

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 22d

👀💀 “Lough Neagh is dying in front of our eyes.”

The UK’s largest lake is choked with algae, fuelled by manure and fertiliser runoff from industrial farming and inadequate wastewater treatment. 🤢

🔗 - bit.ly/46hQOj7

Lough Neagh ‘dying in plain sight’ due to vast algal blooms

Agencies say toxic blue-green algae, thought to be driven by farm runoff and sewage, recorded at levels not seen since 1970s

www.theguardian.com

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River Action @riveractionuk.bsky.social · 22d

At the Wild Summit, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall called out the dirty secret of water companies selling chemical-laden sewage sludge to our farmers. 🤢

⛔️ This is a national scandal and it needs to end.

✍️ You can help stop toxic sewage sludge by signing the petition 👉 act.gp/4nHfsAc

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