Overview
- Environment Agency officials reported beads along beaches from Hastings to Dungeness and inside Rye Harbour, and said an upgrade to the most serious pollution category is under consideration.
- Sussex Wildlife Trust confirmed contamination within Rye Harbour Nature Reserve’s saltmarsh and said remediation must be carefully planned to protect the habitat.
- Early estimates indicate about 10 tonnes, potentially around 650 million beads, escaped when a screen failed during heavy rain at Southern Water’s Eastbourne works.
- Southern Water apologized and said cleanup funding will come from a mix of shareholder investment and customer bills, following an average 47% bill increase for its customers this year.
- Volunteers are conducting labor-intensive beach cleanups as experts warn the beads can persist, carry toxins and harm wildlife, and the environment secretary has called for a thorough investigation.