Pictures have emerged of a murky substance, confirmed to be a “molasses wash”, flowing from the Felixstowe quayside towards the Orwell River.
The pictures, taken from a light aircraft at around midday on Saturday, September 15, show a murky substance spreading over a wide area against the clear waters of the harbour.
It appears most concentrated close to the quayside, and spreads upstream towards the Orwell River.
An anonymous source said: “[The pictures] seem to show pollution / discharge. It might not be that at all. I don’t know.”
However a spokesman for the Port of Felixstowe said that the brown slick is, in fact, an entirely natural product – and nothing to worry about.
It has washed upstream from a yeast factory on Dock Road, and consists of molasses – like a black treacle.
The spokesman said: “We can confirm that the plume on the photograph is a legally permitted discharge from Lallemand, the yeast factory situated at the entrance to the docks.
“During tank cleansing works, the washwater is discharged to the river. The discharge has been operational for many years and is controlled by the Environment Agency.
“The molasses wash is a natural product and a food source for the local ecosystem.”
• Have you seen the substance, or taken any pictures? Get in touch by emailing amy.gibbons@archant.co.uk
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