SEPA- Useless Sludge

Recent reports are that there has been a spillage of clay -sludge sediment from a open-cast mine settlement pond in Muirkirk, Ayrshire (Powharnal Opencast) into the River Lugar. Scottish Coal who run the site apparently contacted that great bastion of environmental defence SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) and both appear to be declaring that the material is "non-toxic".
Local fisherman and those people genuinely concerned about the local environment are not so easily fobbed-off though. It seems likely that such a spillage will coat the bed of the burn and sub-surface plant life. It could affect freshly hatched fish or eggs in the burn and could also have an adverse affect on sub-surface insect life. A SEPA spokesman was quoted as stating that they are checking the river but "don't expect" it will have any impact. Locals however are furious at pollution incidents in the river and the feeble response of SEPA to these incidents. These incidents cause great problems for local anglers and the president of a local angling association was quoted in a local paper as saying that they were "losing members" as a result of such incidents.
The Ayrshire Blog feels that the response of SEPA is just not firm enough when such incidents happen. It's time that they took much firmer action against polluters so that these incidents do not happen! At this time it seems as though a bunch of useless sludge is investigating a bunch of useless sludge.