East Midlands Airport fined £892,500 for 2022 de-icer pollution breaches

East Midlands Airport was fined £892,500 and ordered to pay additional costs after admitting to three environmental offences for discharging contaminated drainage water containing aircraft and runway de-icing fluid into Diseworth Brook and the River Trent. The breaches, occurring between January and February 2022, involved excessive Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, which caused pollution and outbreaks of sewage fungus harming local water quality and plant life. The court found that the airport had failed to adequately invest in its drainage systems since 2015, leading to leaks from poorly maintained storage ponds and defective equipment. Following the incidents, the airport has invested over £10 million in upgrading its drainage infrastructure and has cooperated with the Environment Agency to address the issues. Judge Martin Hurst described the pollution as reckless and highlighted the risk it posed to local residents and livestock, emphasizing that the necessary investments should have been made years earlier. The managing director apologized and affirmed that decisive actions were taken to control the problem ahead of prosecution.