A fuel company has been fined £500 plus costs at Belfast Magistrates Court, following a pollution incident in Belfast Harbour.

The incident was discovered at Hayes Fuels, off Pomeroy Road, Dungannon, County Tyrone, on 21 September 2006.

An inspection was made by an officer from Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) of a coal year at Dufferin Road, Belfast, belonging to Hayes Fuels.

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It was found that runoff, which was badly contaminated by coal dust and solids, was escaping from the coal yard and entering Belfast Harbour.

Analysis confirmed that the discharge was highly polluting.

The court also heard that discharges from Hayes Fuels’ premises at Dufferin Road were regulated and regularly inspected by EHS, and that several EHS inspections prior to the incident on 21 September 2006 had found the discharge had also been previously prosecuted for a similar pollution incident which occurred during April 2004.

Hayes Fuels pleaded guilty in court but said that they had carried out remedial work to ensure that such an incident would not happen again.

The company was fined £500 plus analysis costs of £247.62 plus court costs of £25.

(JM)