Ireland
UK
Scotland
London
A farmer has been fined for making polluting discharges to a waterway at Newtownards Magistrates' Court.
Mr Paul Maxwell from Co Down was fined a total of £22,500 plus Offenders Levy of £15.
On 14 February 2014, 20 February 2014 and 6 March 2014 Water Quality Inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, inspected an unnamed tributary of the Blackstaff River.
The pollution was caused by slurry overflowing from an above ground concrete slurry tank. The slurry flowed across farm land from which it discharged into an unnamed tributary of the Blackstaff River.
Samples taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharges contained very high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) with very high Total Ammonia, Suspended Solids and high Chloride contents. The discharge point contained poisonous, noxious and polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in a receiving waterway.
(CD/LM)
