Major incident declared after chemical spill in Walsall canal

Agencies across the West Midland Local Resilience Forum are treating the chemical spillage into a canal in Walsall as a major incident, with a multi-agency response.

The spillage from a site in Walsall is being investigated. As it has gone into the canal in Walsall, as a precautionary measure, the council are asking the public to avoid an extended area of the canal and towpaths from the Walsall lock flight to the lock flights at Rushall/Ryders Green and Perry Barr (see map).

Walsall Council says it can confirm the Environment Agency have developed a testing regime to test the water for sodium cyanide and other chemicals.

Sodium Cyanide dissolves in water and can have serious adverse health effects for those who come into direct physical contact with it.

There is a potential serious risk to health if you or your pets are exposed (direct physical contact with the water) in the affected stretch of the canal.

Anyone who has been exposed (direct physical contact with the water) along the affected stretch of canal water and is feeling unwell, should seek health advice via 111 or 999 in an emergency.

The council says its identified an area of canals to test and hope to be able to reduce the impacted area as soon as possible.

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