The firm behind a toxic chemical spill in a West Midlands canal has been named by the Environment Agency (EA).
A major incident was declared on Wednesday over the chemical spillage, which included cyanide salts, in Walsall.
The EA said the sodium cyanide came from Anochrome Ltd, a firm which deals in surface coatings and sealing.
In a statement published by the BBC, the company which is based in Walsall, said it “regrettably” released chemicals into the waterway in the early hours of Monday.
Anochrome said it had immediately notified the EA and Severn Trent Water about the spill, saying: “Our senior management team has been – and remain – on-site working collaboratively with all relevant authorities and agencies to minimise and contain the spill.”
The company added it had made all facilities available to the authorities and agencies, including inhouse laboratory testing facilities, saying: “The safety of our community and the environment is our top priority. We are focused on limiting the impact of this incident and will provide further updates as they become available.”
It comes after Walsall Council announced in an update on the incident earlier that they had established where the hazardous spill had originated but did not revealed any details about its origin.
The authority also said an investigation has been launched into the cause of the leak.
It also said the EA was testing the canal water in Pleck for sodium cyanide and other chemicals in the affected area.
The council warned that there is a potential serious health risk to people or pets who have direct physical contact with the water in the affected stretch of the canal.
The authority has urged locals to stay away from a long section of the canal network and towpaths stretching from the middle of the borough to Birmingham, including waterways that connect to Wednesbury, Tipton and West Bromwich.
Councillor Garry Perry, leader of the council, said: “Our priority is the safety of our residents. I share their concerns and hope to see this incident resolved as soon as possible. We are working closely with our partners to manage this situation which has been declared a major incident. For your own safety please avoid this area of the canal and its towpaths.”
Mrs Perry said it was too early to speculate how the substance entered the waterway but has promised to provide regular updates on the investigation.
The authority’s interim director of public health, Nadia Inglis, said they were “doing things cautiously but as quickly as we can”.
She told the BBC: “We’re testing all points of that affected area currently and we’ll be reviewing those results as they come through.
“We’ll be removing those restrictions and hopefully reducing the size of that potentially affected area where we are confident there isn’t a risk to health.”
Local residents have reported seeing dead fish floating in the water on Monday, and have been advised to avoid a 12-mile stretch of the canal.
Public Health England’s website described sodium cyanide as “white crystal like solids with a faint almond colour” that is used in industry for metal cleaning, plating, extraction and photography.
Exposure to the chemical can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, changes in heart rate and loss of consciousness, according to the agency.
Ingesting cyanide salts, which can dissolve in water, releases cyanide into the body, the agency’s website states.
The authority have also told anyone who has caught fish in the canal not to eat it.
People living on boats on the canal in the affected area have been warned about the spill, the Canal and River Trust said.
Dr Inglis added: “Our primary aim has been to keep the public safe and to protect their health and wellbeing.
“Given the nature of the substance, we’re taking a cautious approach to protecting our public until we know it’s safe to open those canal towpaths again.”
Wildlife experts claim the spill could have a devastating affect on wildlife in the area.
Dr Delia Garratt, chief executive of Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust said she hoped those responsible would face the “full force of the law”.
She said: “Environmental watchdogs must be empowered and sufficiently resourced to ensure they can monitor and inspect polluters, and enforce penalties upon those who break the law.”
Martyn Lever, who lives nearby, told the Express & Star: “We use the canal all the time for leisure, recreation and we walk the dog along there, plus I volunteer litter picking along there and we try to keep the area as clean and tidy as we can.
“When you see something like this, standing on the bridge and seeing dead fish on the top, it’s a horrible thing to see and the thing is that two days ago, it was fine, but we saw the pollution yesterday morning and it seems like it was allowed to happen.
“We can’t do anything at the moment as we’ve heard it might be cyanide and I’ve heard that dead fish have been seen as far down as Walsall town centre.”
In a statement, the council said they were notified of a spillage in Pleck by the Environment Agency on 12 August that had gone directly into the canal.
Anyone exposed to the canal water in the affected area and feeling unwell has been advised to seek health advice through calling 111 or, in an emergency, 999.
The council added that anyone who has taken any fish from the canal should not eat them, while drinking water will not be affected by the incident.
Councillor Garry Perry, leader of Walsall Council, said: “Our priority is the safety of our residents.
“I share their concerns and hope to see this incident resolved as soon as possible.
“We are working closely with our partners to manage this situation which has been declared a major incident.
“For your own safety please avoid this area of the canal and its towpaths.”
Anochrome Ltd has been contacted by i for comment.
Additional reporting by the Press Association
Grindr must act but there are darker reasons why children are on the dating app