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Documents obtained exclusively by the BBC reveal that one of the United Kingdom’s largest oil refineries leaked pollutants into local rivers and the Mersey Estuary on numerous occasions throughout 2023 and 2024. EET Fuels, which operates the Stanlow refinery and was formerly known as Essar, admitted guilt earlier this year for 12 violations of environmental legislation committed from 2018 to 2020. However, additional records acquired by investigative journalists from SourceMaterial disclose further incidents involving repeated releases of toxic substances and oil into surrounding waterways and groundwater in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
The Environment Agency (EA) confirmed it is actively investigating these reported breaches. Stanlow is among only four remaining oil refineries in the UK, processing around 10 million tonnes of crude oil annually and supplying approximately 18% of the nation’s road transport fuel. After purchasing the refinery from Shell in 2011 for £842 million, EET Fuels obtained a permit allowing controlled emissions of oil and chemicals to air and water, under conditions designed to minimize environmental and human harm. Nonetheless, reports from the EA indicate that during 2023 and 2024, emissions exceeded permitted levels by hundreds of instances, with documented cause to believe 58 permit violations may constitute prosecutable offenses.
Among the contaminants discharged were hazardous chemicals like cyanide, benzene, and heavy oils. These pollutants entered local waterways such as Thornton Brook and the River Gowy, which flow into the Mersey Estuary—a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) critical for endangered wildlife. Charlotte Harris, chief executive of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, emphasized the global importance of the estuary for migratory bird species including dunlin, black-tailed godwit, and redshank, explaining that this ecological success owes much to decades of cleanup efforts following earlier industrial pollution. She cited the return of Atlantic salmon and critically endangered European eel to these rivers as examples of ongoing ecological recovery.
EA documents reveal alarming pollutant levels during specific incidents: sulfur dioxide emissions at seven times the allowed limit; cyanide in waterways at over eight times permitted levels; and oil discharged at more than thirteen times the authorized amount. One event in July 2023 involved rainwater laced with oil leaking on-site, deemed “significant” by the EA. Local communities reported strong odors, and subsequent investigations found groundwater contamination. EET Fuels contended that the oil loss was “on a low scale” and confined “to two boreholes” within the refinery site. Yet, a separate major spill occurred on 12 September 2024, releasing more than a tonne of oil into Thornton Brook, eventually spreading into the Mersey Estuary over a 36-hour window. Notably, EET Fuels delayed reporting the quantity spilled—contrary to regulatory requirements mandating disclosure within 24 hours.
An emergency response involving the EA, Natural England, local port authorities, and fisheries oversight was mobilized. Natural England acknowledged the spill’s impact on estuary vegetation and salt marshes, noting potential risks of ingestion by birds. Drone footage showed brown discoloration stretching over a mile downriver and wading birds, including the vulnerable Dunlin, in the contaminated zone. Harris stressed that chemical pollution in riverine systems disperses rapidly and extensively due to the dynamic and high-energy nature of waterways. Efforts to contain the spill included deploying floating barriers, and though public health risks were deemed low due to limited site accessibility, local cockle beds were closed for five weeks pending water quality testing by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The beds were eventually cleared for reopening, but the closures delayed some fishers’ livelihoods, as explained by Mark Taylor, CEO of the Northwest Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.
While the EA classified the 2024 oil spill as a “minor” permit breach, it has launched a separate criminal investigation which remains ongoing. EET Fuels maintained that citing past permit violations does not reflect the refinery’s current operational standards, citing investments exceeding £24 million in wastewater infrastructure that led to improved compliance ratings—from an F in 2023 to an E in 2024. Despite this, questions remain regarding regulatory effectiveness. Natural England also conducted its own probe into the 2024 incident but ultimately discontinued the inquiry, judging the environmental impact on the SSSI as “minor.” Internal correspondence, however, indicated concerns that the refinery’s permit did not specify quantitative oil discharge limits, which factored into the decision to drop further action. James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, criticized this as a potential downgrading of pollution incidents and disregard of evidence, underscoring the need for consistent enforcement to deter ongoing environmental harm.
EET Fuels is scheduled for sentencing next month over earlier breaches from 2018 to 2020. Wallace highlighted that the lengthy delay in legal proceedings, coupled with repeated violations, raises doubts about the ability of regulators to effectively hold industries accountable. Harris echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that regulatory frameworks are presently insufficient to prevent pollution at its source. She stressed the importance of holding businesses responsible for environmental damage, while also advocating for proactive measures to safeguard river ecosystems. The situation at Stanlow thus highlights the complex challenges of balancing industrial operations with environmental stewardship in critically important natural habitats
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