Meet the Macclesfield man taking River Bollin investigation into his own hands
By Alex Greensmith
3rd Mar 2023 | Local News
Meet the Macclesfield resident who is taking the River Bollin pollution investigation into his own hands (or wellies).
Mark Pinches has spent the last 11 days walking the river and posting findings to social media.
A keen lover of nature and the right to swim in open waters, he was horrified to see the chemical foam which has killed wildlife and caused an Environment Agency investigation.
"I am part of a network of friends who look out for the river, and somebody texted me there was foaming up by Old Mill Lane", said Mark.
"We then got more and more reports last week which really came to a head on Thursday [February 23].
"Really came to a head on the Thursday when there were widespread reports all the way down to Prestbury to say that the river was foaming and there were dead fish everywhere."
The Environment Agency have confirmed it is a foaming agent. They also recently confirmed that the culprit is likely based in South Macclesfield.
Unverified reports suggest the pollutant is acidic, and while the water is now looking clear at a first glance, fish corpses scattered densely across the river bed remain.
When asked why he is getting involved, Mark had this to say:
"First of all I'm nosey and interested in it," he revealed.
"Second of all, I think it is important for the general public to inform themselves so we can put the pressure on the Environment Agency and Local Representatives to not kind of dismiss this as 'one of those things that just happens'.
"We have to kind of kick up a stink about it and show the impact it has had on the river, ecosystem and make people aware of that.
"What we have got to do now is to try and understand approximately how many fish died. We know that most of the fish have died.
"The question is how many. We have had some reports that it has just been 100 or 1000 fish. It is way more than a thousand.
"Just in this little stretch here just by eyeballing it I have counted maybe 50 fish, and if we extend that up and down the Bollin that is maybe tens of thousands of fish.
"So that is why I am out here to try and get a better grasp of this pollution.
"From the Environment Agency, I would like to see prosecution for whoever is responsible for this illegal act.
"It is important that everybody pays attention to the river, we are all responsible for the welfare for the river because of what we put down the sewer."
"I would like to encourage everyone to be mindful of how they dispose of chemicals, don't put disposable wipes down your drains, and don't pour oil and grease down your drains because all that will do is block the sewers, and that creates overflows that come into the rivers.
"While it is not [directly] related to this particular incident but it is something the public should be aware of."
The Environment Agency have stated on social media that they have been knocking on businesses, but no criminal charges have been revealed as of yet.
The Environment Agency have not responded to multiple Macclesfield Nub News requests for comment.
See Also: River Bollin polluter located 'south of Macclesfield town centre'
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