Tesco has called foul after being named and shamed by the Environment Agency as a repeat offender of environmental crime.
The Environment Agency’s new Spotlight on Business Environmental Performance 2002 report says Tesco was fined £10,000 in court in 2002 after 6,000 litres of petrol leaked from its Tower Park store in Dorset over six months, polluting groundwater. It also lists Tesco as an offender in 2001.
But a Tesco spokesman said it had already been working with the Environment Agency on risk assessment of its petrol stations before the leak was detected.
He said: “The Environment Agency told us that particular site was not a high risk. We think it is unfair it has highlighted us.
“The offence in 2001 was our first, and totally unrelated to the petrol leak in 2002. We should be in the section which highlights good practice. There are so many things we are doing to improve the environment.”
The Environment Agency said the report named all companies fined upwards of £10,000.
Several other food and drink companies were named in the report. Budgens was fined £16,000 after staff at its Tadley store poured dairy products down a drain when chillers and freezers broke down. Milk “devastated” a stream.
Yoplait Dairy Crest was fined £13,000 for two accidents involving pollution of streams with dairy products.
Interbrew was fined £10,000 for polluting a stream with beer. Banana supplier SH Pratt was fined £53,000 for failing to recycle 4,000 tonnes of packaging over three years.
The Environment Agency’s new Spotlight on Business Environmental Performance 2002 report says Tesco was fined £10,000 in court in 2002 after 6,000 litres of petrol leaked from its Tower Park store in Dorset over six months, polluting groundwater. It also lists Tesco as an offender in 2001.
But a Tesco spokesman said it had already been working with the Environment Agency on risk assessment of its petrol stations before the leak was detected.
He said: “The Environment Agency told us that particular site was not a high risk. We think it is unfair it has highlighted us.
“The offence in 2001 was our first, and totally unrelated to the petrol leak in 2002. We should be in the section which highlights good practice. There are so many things we are doing to improve the environment.”
The Environment Agency said the report named all companies fined upwards of £10,000.
Several other food and drink companies were named in the report. Budgens was fined £16,000 after staff at its Tadley store poured dairy products down a drain when chillers and freezers broke down. Milk “devastated” a stream.
Yoplait Dairy Crest was fined £13,000 for two accidents involving pollution of streams with dairy products.
Interbrew was fined £10,000 for polluting a stream with beer. Banana supplier SH Pratt was fined £53,000 for failing to recycle 4,000 tonnes of packaging over three years.
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