by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Human waste suspected of being dumped by a passing aircraft has been found littered across farmland in Northamptonshire, England.
Ian Clegg from Brooklands Farm near Kettering found effluent including human feces and sanitary towels spread across 10ha of grassland while inspecting livestock on October 5, 2010.
"It's spread across fields growing animal feed, which we've been told by the vet we have to dig up and burn," he told a reporter from the local newspaper. "It's destroyed £8000 worth of crops, at a conservative estimate."
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched an investigation to try and identify any planes that were in the area at the time, but they were skeptical the waste had come from an aircraft.
CAA spokesman Richard Taylor said Kettering had a busy airspace with planes flying into Stansted, Luton and East Midlands Airports flying overhead, and a transatlantic route, but aircraft did not flush their toilets into the air.
Problems with pipes did occur occasionally, but they would only release water which would immediately turn to ice, he said.
I must say I do not know on which planet Mr Taylor from the CAA lives but he certainly does not appear to live in the real world. While I have not seen aircraft dump sewage from the planes I have personally witnessed more than one aircraft on the approach to London Gatwick some years back dumping aviation fuel by the ton over farmland. So, maybe it is time the CAA and its officers came down to earth.
Environment Agency officers attended the scene on October 6, 2010 fearing the pollution could have affected a nearby stream.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: "One of our Environment Officers visited the farm in order to check that a nearby river had not been polluted. Tests carried out by the officer confirmed that water was not polluted. We have not advised the farmer that the crops should be destroyed."
Farmer Clegg said he had to move his sheep and cattle indoors and have them checked over by vets at great expense.
The Civil Aviation Authority could not prosecute airlines directly, but people who had suffered damage could pursue them for costs, said Mr Taylor.
One can but wonder what else is being dumped upon us from a great height and maybe, just maybe, it might be an idea that sewage outlets from planes could only be opened by maintenance personnel.
© 2010
