Pressure group Radiation Free Lakeland described the water that has been flowing into the marina as ‘acid mine drainage’ and claimed it should be ‘decontaminated’ before being discharged into the Irish sea.
Issues around pollutants in the water in the Queens Dock area of Whitehaven harbour go back several years, with the water beginning to turn orange in late 2022.
Tests in January 2023 revealed ‘an increase in metals’, but it wasn’t until April that year that the harbour commissioners said that they were ‘reasonably confident’ that the water was coming from mine workings, and had been entering the harbour via a culvert from the Bransty rail tunnel.
In September 2024 it was reported that the discoloured water has been shown to contain iron ochre.
Radiation Free Lakeland has now said that a freedom of information request it made to Network Rail has revealed that the chemical composition of the Bransty tunnel ‘floodwater’ sludge is ‘characteristic of a sediment related to the precipitation of metals from a mine water discharge’.
The group said that tests show ‘elevated concentrations of iron, aluminium, manganese and zinc’.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Network Rail, the Mining Remediation Authority and others tasked with mitigating the ongoing pollution event have consistently referred to the outpouring into Queens Dock as ‘floodwater’ when the correct term would be acid mine drainage.”
The group claimed the bodies responsible for dealing with the water are ‘underplaying’ the issue with the recent Task Force decision to divert the pollution in Whitehaven Harbour directly into the Irish Sea, and that the water should be ‘treated and decontaminated’.
A task force group made up of organisations including Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, Network Rail, The Environment Agency, the Mining Remediation Authority, Cumberland Council and MP Josh MacAlister have been working to find a solution to the issue.
The water in Whitehaven harbour in early 2025 (Image: Newsquest)
The marina water temporarily cleared in August. It was supposed that this was related to upgrades to the track and drainage through Bransty tunnel being carried out by Network Rail, and the placement of a temporary water treatment plant.
Radiation Free Lakeland said the temporary clearance was prompted by the use of ‘Siltbuster’ machines in the tunnel to enable the work on the tracks.
Environment Agency response
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “The pollution at Whitehaven harbour is likely an unfortunate legacy of our country’s mining past.
“We are working with our Whitehaven Harbour Task Force partners to find solutions to inherently difficult problems and sympathise with the concerns of Radiation Free Lakeland and the community.
“We continue to support the work of the MP-led taskforce to identify an enduring solution to the orange-coloured water entering the harbour.”
The Environment Agency confirmed that iron and manganese levels in the water are significantly above European Quality Standards, though it believes there is no significant impact on the aquatic environment due to dilution in the marina and the wider Solway.
It added that, because the pollution originates from abandoned mines closed before January 1, 2000, no organisation can be held legally responsible or prosecuted.
The agency is working with partners to provide technical advice and support, but says viable long-term treatment will require significant investment.
Network Rail was approached for comment.