British Steel has invested £800,000 on a new state-of-the-art environmental system at its Scunthorpe site.
The installation of oil detection and skimming equipment will transform the way it monitors the water network, and has been welcomed by regulator, the Environment Agency.
“We take our environmental responsibilities extremely seriously and strive to minimise the impact we have on our local environment wherever possible,” said group environment manager Lee Adcock.
“We handle significant volumes of oil on our site every year as it’s a fundamental tool that helps us to keep our machinery functioning efficiently and reliably.
“While we’re extremely careful about how we handle this substance and have made significant efficiencies in our use of oil in recent years, it’s essential we have plans in place to ensure we minimise the risk of oil entering our site drainage system in the unlikely event of a leak.
“By investing in this technology we’re doing everything within our power to monitor the presence of oil in our water systems and to quickly and effectively get rid of it, therefore minimising the risk of the substance entering local watercourses.”
As well as improving the management of oil, the new equipment also helps the company’s environmental experts to monitor the quality of the on-site water network.
Peter Borrell, senior regulated industry officer at the Environment Agency, said: “We work closely with the industries we regulate to ensure their operations do not have a detrimental impact on the environment.
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“The significant investment by the Scunthorpe steelworks in oil detection and skimming equipment to prevent and minimise pollution will help to protect the Bottesford Beck from potential oil emissions.
“This is especially welcome as the beck is popular with walkers and nature lovers from the local area.
“It is of utmost importance that the habitat is protected for both people and wildlife to enjoy.”