The Chiltern Society has been corresponding with the Environment Agency (EA) with regard to the impact of the Chiltern Tunnel on the River Misbourne and the Misbourne aquifer. We have also had the opportunity to review HS2’s papers ‘Chiltern Tunnel Construction Water Assessment’ and ‘Groundwater Assessment for Construction Tasks – Tunnel and Cross Passages’. There are still a number of concerns which have been raised with the EA, and which need to be addressed before the tunnelling goes ahead. These relate to:
- the risk of losing the River Misbourne
- the risk of pollution of the aquifer with Bentonite and Methyl Isothiazol
- the risk of diversion of water flowing in the aquifer and thus permanently changing landscape and ecology
Please see letter setting out these concerns in detail – Response to Sir James Bevan , EA, 15 June 2021
