Two Co Antrim farmers pleaded guilty and were each fined £500, and £15 Offenders Levy at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court today.
Mr Samuel Booth and Mr Samuel Booth Jnr from Benvardin Road, Ballymoney, Co Antrim were fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.
On 6 June 2014 and 16 June 2014, Water Quality Inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) inspected an unnamed waterway adjacent to Lisconnan Road and observed grey fungus on the bed of the waterway. A strong odour of silage effluent was detected from the waterway. The Inspectors discovered a dark coloured liquid discharging to the waterway.
The pollution was caused by silage effluent flowing from a double silage clamp. The effluent tank was full and overflowing, a crack was observed in the silo wall and silage effluent was observed ‘bubbling’ through the concrete yard in front of the silage clamp. The source of the pollution was traced to farm premises owned by Mr Samuel Booth and Mr Samuel Booth Jnr.
A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharges contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.
Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the 24 hour Water Pollution Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
