UK oil refinery broke toxic pollution limits dozens of times
Leak documents reveal EET Fuels' Stanlow refinery in Cheshire breached environmental limits hundreds of times with toxic chemical and oil spills between 2023 and 2024.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port faces investigation for hundreds of permitted limit breaches.
- Documents show toxic chemicals including cyanide, benzene, and heavy oils leaked into local waterways in 2023-2024.
- The UK Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed a separate criminal investigation into the incidents.
Documents shared exclusively with the BBC suggest that one of the UK's major oil refineries, Stanlow in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, operated by EET Fuels, breached its environmental permit conditions 58 times between 2023 and 2024.
Reports compiled by investigative journalists from SourceMaterial and reviewed by the Environment Agency (EA) reveal that permitted levels for chemical releases were exceeded hundreds of times. The spills involved hazardous substances such as cyanide, benzene, and heavy oils discharged into the air and local waterways including Thornton Brook and the River Gowy, which flow into the Mersey Estuary.
The Mersey Estuary is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), serving as a home for endangered species like dolphins and a vital breeding ground for rare birds. Charlotte Harris, chief executive of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, noted that migratory birds such as dunlins, black-tailed godwits, and redshanks travel globally to feed in the area, a habitat restored through years of cleanup efforts.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
EA documents detail that sulphur dioxide was released into the air at seven times permitted levels, cyanide into waterways at over eight times allowed limits, and oil at more than thirteen times the legal threshold. In July 2023, oil-contaminated rainwater leaked from the site, triggering local complaints about odors and contaminating groundwater supplies, an event classified by the EA as significant.
The scrutiny facing the Stanlow refinery underscores the growing enforcement pressure by UK environmental regulators against industrial polluters. Operating near sensitive protected ecosystems like the Mersey Estuary highlights the high environmental stakes and the critical need for strict compliance in heavy refining operations.
A subsequent spill occurred on September 12, 2024, releasing over a tonne of oil into Thornton Brook and spreading down the estuary. Although EET Fuels reported the incident, it took nearly two weeks to provide an oil volume estimate, breaching the 24-hour reporting requirement under regulations.
"What has gone in there is going to have some impact on the vegetation and salt marsh and there is probably still a risk of ingestion by birds."
Natural England
Mark Taylor, CEO of the North West Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, told the BBC that the spill delayed fishers from earning income as local cockle beds were closed for five weeks while the Food Standards Agency conducted water quality tests, though they were later given the all-clear.
Source: BBC Science & Environment
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