New citizen science report finds toxic metals in rivers and soil in Corby

Image description: A hand in a blue glove holding a test tube containing a sample of river water for analysis.

New findings reignite a decades-long controversy

Charity Earthwatch Europe has published new findings from citizen science sampling across Corby, Northamptonshire, identifying potentially harmful concentrations of metals and metalloids at all 52 freshwater sites tested and in soil samples taken near known historic waste sites. The sampling, conducted in July, found nickel present in 28 freshwater samples and cadmium detected in six, with elevated concentrations of cadmium and arsenic in soil largely confined to Deene Quarry and a former slag heap in Weldon.

The Corby toxic waste scandal has its roots in the demolition of steelworks in the 1980s, which campaigners believe caused birth defects in children born in the town. In 2009, a High Court judge ruled in favour of 18 Corby families, finding that Corby Borough Council had been negligent in managing the waste.

The charity’s scientific advisor Dr Sasha Woods said the findings indicated areas where “further investigation and remedial action may be needed,” and that some metals were present at levels that could pose a risk to human health, particularly near historic waste sites. The pattern across summer and winter sampling, they said suggested a “relatively constant source of pollution”, likely groundwater and landfill leachate rather than surface runoff.

A disputed picture between campaigners and regulators

The Environment Agency welcomed the Earthwatch Europe report but maintained that its own monitoring did not indicate “widespread or significant harm to the freshwater environment across the Corby area,” adding that some metals occur naturally. The BBC’s coverage highlights that earlier this year the EA also disputed Earthwatch Europe’s findings on the potential harm to aquatic life from the same sampling programme. The EA said it would continue to review the evidence alongside its own monitoring and take further action if needed. North Northamptonshire Council also said it would fully assess the data and that any credible evidence of risk to human health or the environment would be thoroughly investigated through appropriate regulatory processes.

A community still seeking resolution

Campaigner Tracey Taylor, whose daughter died at four days old, said she hoped the new findings would mean “people are going to start to listen.” Labour MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire Lee Barron called on North Northamptonshire Council to publish a plan to make contaminated sites safe, noting that local authorities have a duty to inspect and identify sites where contamination poses unacceptable risks.

Historic land use decisions continue to affect water quality

The findings, particularly the suggestion that landfill leachate may be a persistent source of metal contamination reaching freshwater, highlight the long timescales over which historic land use decisions continue to affect water quality. The Corby case is therefore particularly relevant to water sector professionals working on groundwater protection, contaminated land monitoring and catchment management. The case also illustrates the growing role of citizen science in environmental monitoring, and the challenges regulators face when community-led evidence diverges from their own assessments.

BBC: Corby metal pollution may harm people, says study

ITV: Corby pollution scandal: New report finds toxic metals in rivers and soil