Stream turns black- oil spill in Morden spreads as far as Richmond Park

Bianca in Year 11 brings the breaking local eco news of the week! Have you noticed something murky in the water at Richmond Park? Stay to find out more about the water pollution turning a stream pitch-black…

Last Friday, someone walking their dog in Morden Hall park reported oil in its stream. An oil spill coming from Pyl Brook in Morden has contaminated and blackened a stream. The dark oily water has not only alarmed dog walkers but environmentalists too.

The Environment Agency is now working on the river clean-up to tackle the spillage with the culprit believed to be a third party .

How great an issue is the spillage?

Whilst warnings were issued to dog walkers, the impacts of the spill could be even worse.

For now there is no sense of what the extent of the damage could be however it  could be potentially catastrophic for the wildlife. With oil spills, the oil often clings to the river bank’s vegetation. Then, the animals which ingest these plants can be affected. Furthermore, the effect of oil spills is massive throughout the freshwater food chain.

If the issue is not dealt with effectively, the oil could travel to other areas, affecting other local ecosystems.

What measures have been taken?

The Environment Agency has deployed booms and pads with the purpose of preventing the oil travelling further downstream. In the meanwhile, their teams continue to establish the source of the pollution.

What could we take away from this incident?

The conservation of our local wildlife is paramount now more than ever. However these situations are worse when they are preventable. Educating ourselves on the importance of local biodiversity will not only cause us to conserve it better but hopefully lobby for change which ensures these pollutants are managed wisely, if not phased out.