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This week marks a significant milestone in the recovery of the Walsall Canal, following a pollution incident in August 2024, when around 4,000 liters of contaminant, including highly toxic sodium cyanide and zinc cyanide, leaked into the canal.
As a result, around one mile of the canal in the Pleck area of Walsall has had to remain closed for boats for the past eight months.
A major pollution incident was declared at the time and, while the towpath has since reopened, the canal has remained closed to boats and devoid of wildlife. The company identified as the source of the pollution is under investigation by the Environment Agency.
Now, Canal & River Trust is overseeing dredging operations to remove cyanide-contaminated silt from the canal bed. This is a crucial step in the canal’s ecological recovery, required by the Environment Agency, and a major step towards reopening the waterway to boats.
The dredging is due to take several weeks, after which the sediment and water will be tested once again. The test results will determine if further steps are needed and when the canal can reopen.