Probe into pollution incident in River North Esk in Midlothian ongoing

Scotland’s environment watchdog has launched an investigation into an ongoing pollution incident in a river in Lothian.

SEPA confirmed that visible pollution had entered the River North Esk, near Polton, on Friday. The river flows through Midlothian before joining the South Esk to become the River Esk in Dalkeith Country Park.

Officers visited the site and are working on a plan to protect the local environment, while both Midlothian and East Lothian councils said they were closely monitoring the situation.

A statement from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency read: “SEPA are aware of an ongoing pollution incident in the Polton area that has entered the River North Esk. With low water levels, the pollution may be concentrated and visible.

“Officers are on site again this morning to assess the impact and working with the operator to minimise harm. We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and take appropriate action to protect the environment.”

A Midlothian Council spokesperson said: “We’re aware of reports of a possible pollution incident on the River North Esk near Polton.

“The river passes through land owned by various parties, with a section that runs past Springfield Mill near Polton falling under Midlothian Council’s ownership.

“Our countryside rangers have found no issues in that area, but we’re continuing to monitor the situation.”

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of an ongoing pollution incident which took place outside of East Lothian.

“The council is liaising with agencies including SEPA to monitor the situation closely and assess whether there are any potential impacts on our local environment.”