'Pollution Incident' Responsible for Turning England's River Frome Bright Blue, Says Environment Agency

The River Frome mysteriously turned bright blue last week. (Environment Agency) — The River Frome mysteriously turned bright blue last week. *(Environment Agency)*

Following tests carried out over the weekend, authorities in England have concluded that a tributary of the River Frome turned bright blue last week due to a “pollution incident”.

A spokesman for England’s Environment Agency confirmed that they had found the cause of the pollution and knew who was responsible, and stated that no wildlife or fish appear to have died or been distressed due to the incident.

"We continue to investigate why a tributary of the River Frome in Somerset turned bright blue. We now know the cause of the pollution and who was responsible," the spokesman said on August 12th. "We cannot comment or share any specifics as further action may be required, and will not respond to speculation on where the pollution came from.”

“We will work with all parties to prevent re-occurrence,” the spokesman added. “There are no reports of dead or distressed wildlife or fish. We will continue to monitor the tributary and the River Frome today and work with the responsible parties to remove the pollutant and continue to work on the ground to ensure it does not spread further."

The water has since returned to its normal appearance.

A similar incident in 2017 occurred after the investigation of a water bottling plant resulted in Spain’s Gran Valira River being dyed a bright, emerald green. The river had changed color all the way from its source in Andorra into the Catalonia region of Spain.

Environmental pollutants are also considered responsible for two incidents of blue snow in Russia within the last five years.

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