A SERIOUS environmental incident in Monmouthshire has been averted due to a quick response to a major slurry incident, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has confirmed.

NRW has been working with the Environment Agency (EA) and Welsh Water, to divert a tributary of the River Honddu upstream of the pollution to reduce flows and slow the spread of slurry, at a site near Llanvihangel Crucorney.

Four-hundred-and-fifty thousand litres of slurry was at risk of entering a lagoon, which could have affected the rivers Wye and Monnow.

However, three quarters of the slurry’s quantity has been prevented from entering the water system.

NRW and EA experts remain on site assessing the impact of the pollution on fish and other river life in the Honddu, as well as on the rivers Monnow and Wye, as it travels downstream.

Early indications show that the actions taken have restricted the worst of the impact to the tributary of the Honddu with only a small number of dead fish, while the impact on the Honddu and Monnow is mainly visual.

The NRW has confirmed that an investigation is underway at a farm in the Monmouthshire village.

Steve Morgan, the NRW’s operations manager for Usk and Wye, said: “Our rivers are so important to our wellbeing and our economy, and we’re continuing to do everything we can to reduce the impact of this incident on our environment and wildlife.

“We’re already in touch with many, angling clubs and other stakeholders who will be concerned about this incident and we’ll keep them in the loop with the latest developments.

“Once we’re happy that the remaining slurry has been dealt with and there is no further risk to the river, we’ll be focussing our efforts on how this happened, and what action we need to take against those responsible.”