Sonae UK Ltd was fined £37,500 at Huyton magistrates court on October 2 after pleading guilty to a number of pollution offences.
In a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency, the company was also ordered to pay £3,150 costs.
Sonae UK managing director Tony Hackney said the company may appeal against the decisions.
The Environment Agency said problems started after an explosion at Sonae’s main woodchip manufacturing plant on June 1 last year which caused around 20,000 litres of concentrated white wax emulsion to escape into the surface water drainage system. The problem was exacerbated by heavy rainfall and the contents of the drainage system eventually overflowed into Kirkby Brook.
Wax emulsion got into the brook twice more, then on August 30 acidic and toxic green dye escaped into it and fish were found dead.
Contaminated water from the Sonae site also escaped into the brook during October causing further pollution.
The Environment Agency told the court that all the incidents were foreseeable and could have been prevented.
After the court case Tony Hackney, Sonae UK managing director, told TTJ: “We are very disappointed with the outcome of the hearing. Past events leading to minor spillages were the result of drainage design failures and didn’t constitute any health risk.
“Since the events Sonae UK has made considerable efforts and expenditure to rectify systems and controls and the company is considering its position and may appeal against the outcome, especially given the mitigating circumstances.”
