Enforcement action

The Agency served a prohibition notice against Vopak on 19 November after it reported the loss of 40 tonnes of aniline from of its chemical storage tanks on the bank of the river Tees. The notice prevents the company from using the tank and the site's effluent system pending investigation into the incident. The chemical, which is toxic to fish, has polluted the ground surrounding the tank, but the river may not have been affected. Vopak has previously been fined £5,000 for a leak of sodium cyanide (see pp 8-9 ).