Fundraiser launched to clean up Walsall canal after chemical spill hits £20k

The chemicals were spilled into the Walsall canal system on August 12, prompting a multi-agency response formed of nine groups including the Environment Agency and emergency services.

Among the chemicals detected were Zinc cyanide and Sodium cyanide, which dissolves in water and can cause severe health effects or even prove fatal for those who come into direct physical contact with it.

Dead fish were spotted floating in the canals in Walsall in the days following the spill, with residents initially urged to avoid more 14 miles of waterways from the Walsall lock flight to the lock flights at Rushall/Ryders Green and Perry Barr.

Metal finishing group Anochrome Ltd, of Reservoir Place, Pleck, has admitted responsibility for the spill, which the Environment Agency revealed last week was formed of around 4,000 litres of chemicals.

In the days that followed the incident, the Canal and River Trust set up an online fundraiser in hopes of raising cash to fund the clean-up operation in the canal and recover wildlife in the affected waterways.

People were quick to give to the cause, with one mystery donor even contributing a hefty £10,000.

The Crowdfunder is now nearing its £25,000 target, having generated around £20,536 in donations as of Saturday afternoon.

In a statement on the fundraising page, the Canal and River Trust said while it is not able to get close enough to understand the "true impact" of the spillage, more than 100 young fish and dozens of large fish have been killed as a result of it.

It added that there could be a threat to the lives of water voles, which have recently been recorded in waterways in Birmingham and the Black Country.

On the Crowdfunder, the Canal and River Trust said: "The already threatened water voles might not have a resilient population left if they are impacted by this event, so we may need to reintroduce once the environment is safe again.

"Without natural balance, invasives and algae will quickly take over and the ecosystem could take years to fully recover.

"Canal and River Trust pick up the costly pieces following hundreds of pollution incidents each year, albeit instances of this nature and on this scale are rare.

"The trust will need to assess the damage that’s been caused – most notably to the fish, but of course the impact on other wildlife - the birds and mammals - along the canal."

People can donate to the fundraiser by visiting crowdfunder.co.uk/p/walsallspill