Staff from the Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Tamworth Regional Council were also hard at work pumping an unknown substance – possibly fat or tallow – from a storm water drain near the Tourist Information Centre late yesterday.

The clean-up operation was being co-ordinated by TRC staff under the auspices of the DECC.

This is because the council has the resources on the ground to manage an event of this nature.

A DECC spokesperson confirmed yesterday the spill – which is believed to have contaminated several kilometres of the river – was first reported to it and the council by The Leader. It had been spotted by a staff member walking their dog at 6.30am that morning.

Neither the council nor the DECC had been aware of the contamination until they were contacted by the paper.

DECC Armidale region manager Simon Smith said his staff would be working with the TRC to find out what was going on.

“I will talk to the council because they are on site,” he said from

Armidale.

“We will grab some samples and work upstream until it’s clear and then figure out what it is.”

Tamworth Regional Council’s Mick McGufficke confirmed later that samples had been taken and sent to the compliance department for testing.

The Hazardous Materials Unit was called out shortly after lunchtime.

A DECC spokeswoman said late

yesterday tests had revealed the substance was biodegradable and would break down over time.

While there is no threat to humans, the fat or tallow can take oxygen from the water and “cause problems” for fish and plants. This is why as much of the material in the river as possible was being immobilised behind the booms and skimmed off.

Apparently a large quantity of the substance was still present in the storm water drain.

This is where the main thrust of the clean-up operation was being concentrated yesterday afternoon.

The DECC spokeswoman said if the spill had been caused – either deliberately or accidentally – by an individual or a business, the penalties would be severe.

“They would have to take (financial) responsibility for the clean-up,” she said.

Investigations were continuing and it was not known if charges would be laid.

A local firm – not related to yesterday’s incident – was recently ordered to pay $120,000 to the council for environmental restoration work, $34,000 in costs and $45,000 in clean-up costs following an effluent spill in March and April last year.