The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has confirmed that a farmer in Northern Ireland has been fined in court for water pollution offences that impacted the Clady River, Portglenone.
Trevor Shields with an address at Moyad Road, Kilkeel, Co. Down was convicted today (Wednesday, August 27) at Magherafelt Magistrates’ Court for offences under Article 7(1)(a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 as amended.
The 65-year-old pleaded guilty and was fined a total of £1,750 plus a total of £30 Offenders Levy.
The court heard that, on February 4, 2022, Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) water quality inspectors responded to a report of farm effluent flowing along the Mullaghnamoyagh Road, Portglenone, and then discharging to the Clady River, a tributary of the Lower Bann River.
The discharge of effluent was observed to be flowing from an access lane on the farm, onto the public road before then entering the waterway via a roadside gulley.
On the farm, the inspectors discovered there were no storage facilities to collect the farm effluent, therefore, the effluent escaped from the farm premises.
A dye test confirmed the link between the discharge on the Mullaghnamoyagh Road and the Clady River, a distance of approximately 500 metres (via public roadway and piped drain).
On June 24, 2022, a further report of pollution was received.
A brown coloured liquid was observed escaping from the same farm premises, flowing along the Mullaghnamoyagh Road and entering a roadside gulley before then discharging to the Clady River.
On both dates, samples of the discharges were collected and analysed.
The material represented by the samples contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in a receiving waterway.
The court also heard that NIEA water quality inspectors responded to a further report of pollution impacting the Clady River between June 3 and 5, 2024.
On inspection, pig slurry was observed discharging to the Clady River.
The NIEA inspectors traced the discharge to the pig farm at Mullaghnamoyagh Road.
On the farm, the NIEA inspectors discovered a storm drain containing a very dark coloured liquid with the odour of pig slurry.
A subsequent dye test demonstrated continuity between the drainage chamber and the Clady River.
As part of the investigation in June 2024, a statutory sample of the discharge was collected and analysed.
The sample results indicated that the sample contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in a receiving waterway.
DAERA said that anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the 24-hour NIEA incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
