05/03/2012

Farmers Fined For Pollution Offences

A Co Londonderry farmer has pleaded guilty and was fined £400 plus £44 court costs at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court.

Hugh Conn, Barmouth Road, Castlerock, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 18 March 2011, Water Quality Inspectors acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, observed the water in a tributary of the Articlave River to be dark in colour and foaming. The source of the polluting discharge to this waterway was traced to a farm owned by Mr Conn.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious, or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving watercourse.

At the same court Francis Bellingham, a farmer at Killans Road, Ballymoney, Co Antrim, pleaded guilty and was fined £200 plus £22 court costs for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 7 July 2011, Water Quality Inspectors acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, observed the River Lower Bann to be affected by a discharge of cattle slurry. The source of the discharge was traced to farm premises owned by Mr Bellingham.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious, or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving watercourse.

(GK)

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