University Fined in Court for River Pollution

Cambridge University is in murky water after being fined £28,000 for polluting the River Ouse.

The University pleaded guilty in court to two separate charges of polluting the river at Madingley.

The pollution came from a University-owned farm, which had been taken over by the University in 1997 as a small, profitable enterprise. The farm was also used by veterinary students.

Slurry was reportedly spread over the field before heavy rain washed it into the river via mysterious ‘unknown’ drainpipes.

Slurry is basically the tractor equivalent of diarrhoea

Claire Corfield, prosecutor for the Environment Agency, said: “This was not an isolated lapse. Following the first incident the defendant failed to take appropriate measures such as tankering to prevent a second pollution incident.

“The causes of both incidents were the same.”

The slurry incident resulted in the University being forced to pay the £28,000 fine, as well as another £7,363 in costs.

Jerry, a third year Medic at Corpus Christi, commented, “I think it’s absolutely disgraceful that the University are contributing to river pollution in this manner and yet have the audacity to attempt to ban the institutionalised post exam spraying of Cava.”

Much worse than Cava

The representative for the University in court, John Hopkins, said: “The university aims to promote environmental sustainability at all its sites. The university accepts it fell short of the standards it sets itself and the standards set by law.”

The idyllic river Ouse before it had been slurried

The University stressed that lessons will be learnt from this sue-age problem and that precautions will be taken to make sure it does not happen again.