River Esk: Anger at pollution in Musselburgh water as investigation by SEPA and East Lothian Council underway

By Hannah Brown and Rachel Mackie
Comment
Published 19th Jan 2022, 09:42 BST
Updated 19th Jan 2022, 09:43 BST
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency and East Lothian Council are working together to investigate a pollution incident in the River Esk as local residents’ concern and anger builds.

East Lothian Council and SEPA have claimed that further work will take place following a pollution incident in the River Esk in Musselburgh first reported on Friday.

Pictures surfaced across social media of the River Esk polluted by what appears to be oil running through its murky depths.

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Local residents have expressed their concern for the water area, the surrounding wildlife and the pollution’s general impact on the environment.

Picture of the River Esk pollution in Musselburgh (Photo: Shona McIntosh).Picture of the River Esk pollution in Musselburgh (Photo: Shona McIntosh).
Picture of the River Esk pollution in Musselburgh (Photo: Shona McIntosh).

Shona McIntosh, a local resident said: "Local people are very worried about the wildlife, and angry about how long it took before we saw any action.

"Even after finding the source of the pollutant - which took two days - the policy seemed to be to let all the fuel already spilled flow through the river system into the Firth.

"People are asking why more effort wasn’t made to absorb or pump out the fuel in the burn before it reached the Esk, which might have reduced the terrible impact on our birds, mammals and fish."

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Locals have raised their concerns about the impact of the pollution on the community (Photo: Shona McIntosh).Locals have raised their concerns about the impact of the pollution on the community (Photo: Shona McIntosh).