New group tackling issues in the River Esk

The Esk River Improvement Group (ERIG) was set up following concerns about mine water discharge, sewage, and discharge from combined sewage overflows.

Its first meeting, held online last week, was hosted by local MSP Colin Beattie.

The discussion was attended by key stakeholders such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Water, the Coal Authority, East Lothian Council and community councillors, amongst other interested bodies.

Mr Beattie said: “The issues with the River Esk have been ongoing for a long time and I know that my constituents are frustrated that no permanent solutions have been found.

“I wanted to establish a group where we look at the overall health of the River Esk and bring together those who are already working to make improvements to the quality of the water. It is much easier to see a result when we are all working collectively to resolve an issue and that is the exact purpose of this forum.

“It is important to me that members of the community are involved and I am pleased we have many representatives from our community councils working with the group, and also some local establishments such as Newbattle Abbey College and Musselburgh Racecourse. It is heartening that so many people are willing to commit to volunteering their time to make active change on this matter.”

He added: “I was pleased to discuss what progress was being made on these matters already, as well as thinking forward to establish what we need to do to stop these issues arising again in the future.

“All constituents also have a part to play by ensuring they understand what not to flush down the toilet and by helping to educate others. Lessening the amount of sewage debris, which is often full of flushed wipes and sanitary towels, is an essential part in maintaining the cleanliness of the river.

“I am very pleased that the Coal Authority are putting in place a system to clean the mining discharge from Junkie’s Adit, and also that Scottish Water, supported by SEPA, are actively working to undertake clean-ups on the Esk and improve their existing systems to prevent sewage spills going forward.

“I would like to remind my constituents that this group is not a substitute for reporting issues, and that if constituents see pollution in the river then they should report this urgently to SEPA via their pollution reporting tool at www2.sepa.org.uk/EnvironmentalEvents or get in touch with Scottish Water directly, either through their website or by calling 0800 0778 778.

“Constituents have a vital role to play by reporting problems when they see them, which allows them to be investigated more quickly and this will allow Scottish Water to undertake urgent clean-up.

“Anyone who would like to know more about the group is welcome to contact me at colin.beattie.msp@parliament.scot and I will gladly add them to ERIG’s mailing list.”