Latest news with #deicer
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Airport gets £900k fine for plane de-icer pollution
East Midlands Airport has been fined almost £900,000 for polluting a nearby brook with de-icer. The airport, which cannot connect to a mains sewer and so is responsible for the run-off from its runways, pleaded guilty to three discharges of contaminated water into Diseworth Brook in January and February 2022. Airport managing director Steve Griffiths apologised, and said it had taken "decisive action" and invested more than £10m in its drainage. But sentencing the airport at Derby Crown Court on Monday, Judge Martin Hurst said it had failed to properly invest in its systems from 2015 onwards, and said the money being spent "should reasonably have been spent then". He handed the airport - which he said was the second biggest freight airport in the UK and 14th largest in terms of passengers - a fine of £892,500 and costs of £65,687.54, as well as a victim surcharge. The judge said the airport had been "reckless" and caused "risk to livestock and the residents of the village of Diseworth". Sewage fungus The court heard the systems to process water contaminated by de-icer - to be released into both the River Trent and Diseworth Brook - were installed in the year 2000, with a "useful service life" of 20 years. Run-off from the essential de-icing, including of runways and aircraft, is held in a series of winter and summer ponds, which let water out at different times of the year, and hold different levels of contamination. The court was told Environment Agency investigations had found defects throughout their systems, including with monitors, pumps and pond liners. It led, on three occasions, to Diseworth Brook - which runs "straight through the middle of the village" - being polluted. Levels of up to eight times the level allowed were detected on one occasion, the court heard. This pollution causes outbreaks of sewage fungus, damaging water quality and harming plant life. Judge Hurst said the investment of more than £10m in the systems since the breaches showed the airport had been responsible and taken action, albeit "five years too late". Following the hearing, Mr Griffiths said: "I'd like to say sorry for the three breaches that we had in early 2022, where we discharged water beyond our permit into the local watercourses. "We took decisive action at that point in time and we controlled those issues and that was ahead of any prosecution taking place." Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Related internet links East Midlands Airport Environment Agency HM Courts & Tribunals Service
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
East Midlands Airport fined £900,000 for plane de-icer pollution
East Midlands Airport has been fined almost £900,000 for polluting a nearby brook with airport, which cannot connect to a mains sewer and so is responsible for the run-off from its runways, pleaded guilty to three discharges of contaminated water into Diseworth Brook in January and February managing director Steve Griffiths apologised, and said it had taken "decisive action" and invested more than £10m in its sentencing the airport at Derby Crown Court on Monday, Judge Martin Hurst said it had failed to properly invest in its systems from 2015 onwards, and said the money being spent "should reasonably have been spent then". He handed the airport - which he said was the second biggest freight airport in the UK and 14th largest in terms of passengers - a fine of £892,500 and costs of £65,687.54, as well as a victim judge said the airport had been "reckless" and caused "risk to livestock and the residents of the village of Diseworth". Sewage fungus The court heard the systems to process water contaminated by de-icer - to be released into both the River Trent and Diseworth Brook - were installed in the year 2000, with a "useful service life" of 20 from the essential de-icing, including of runways and aircraft, is held in a series of winter and summer ponds, which let water out at different times of the year, and hold different levels of court was told Environment Agency investigations had found defects throughout their systems, including with monitors, pumps and pond led, on three occasions, to Diseworth Brook - which runs "straight through the middle of the village" - being of up to eight times the level allowed were detected on one occasion, the court pollution causes outbreaks of sewage fungus, damaging water quality and harming plant life".Judge Hurst said the investment of more than £10m in the systems since the breaches showed the airport had been responsible and taken action, albeit "five years too late".Following the hearing, Mr Griffiths said: "I'd like to say sorry for the three breaches that we had in early 2022, where we discharged water beyond our permit into the local watercourses."We took decisive action at that point in time and we controlled those issues and that was ahead of any prosecution taking place."
ABC News
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
How to defrost and defog your car windscreen quickly when it's cold and icy
If defrosting an icy windscreen has become part of your morning routine, we're here to help. There are several dos and don'ts to making sure you safely defrost the glass, and get to work or school on time. We also share the fastest way to defog your windscreen once in the car. The easiest and most accessible way to defrost a windscreen is by pouring regular tap water over the affected area. If the water temperature is above freezing, that will melt the ice. You could use a water bottle or nearby hose, for example. Be warned, using hot or boiling water is a mistake. Rapid temperature changes can crack the windscreen's laminated glass. If you prefer, a bank card or other plastic card can be used to scratch away at the frost. You can also buy purpose-built scrapers (if you're fancy like that). There are products on the market that involve various alcohols designed to quickly melt ice. "There are ones for windscreens that involve various alcohols, things like propylene glycol," says Nathan Kilah, senior lecturer in chemistry at the University of Tasmania in Lutruwita. Along with de-icer sprays, a solution of vinegar and water is a method of windscreen defrosting that is another example of this. Dr Kilah is personally not a fan, though. He says the products can be corrosive and may end up causing problems. If you dread the defrost chore on a cold winter's morning, you can prevent the icy windscreen in the first place. Leaving a blanket, towel or cardboard on the windscreen is effective. Experts say this means you can just "peel off" any ice crystals that have formed due to the temperature dropping off. Our readers shared some of their more novel ways of defrosting their car windscreen, including parking a car "nudged" into some bushes. One reader parks their car so it faces east to get the morning sun, while another pops a hot water bottle on the dash (not touching the glass) "before breakfast". For electric vehicles, one reader suggests using the app to turn on heater before you brush your teeth. And apparently half a potato does a good job of scraping off frost without scratching the glass! To defog a windscreen from the inside, you can either heat up the surface to evaporate the water, or cool down the inside of the car, so it equilibrates. While some people will opt for the latter by blasting cool air, Dr Kilah prefers to "turn on the heater and warm up the surface so that fog won't form". If you don't have an air conditioner in the car, an anti-fog wipe or spray could be an option. It's to be used ahead of time, before fogging occurs. "These products leave a thin film of material on the glass that somewhat prevents the formation of water droplets," Dr Kilah says. "But the products can require frequent reapplication or need pre-cleaning for them to work well." You can also try opening the windows to lower the temperature of the air inside the car, though Dr Kilah warns "it won't be very comfortable."
