Hillsborough farmer fined £500 for pollution offence

A Co. Down farmer was fined £500 plus £31 court costs at Lisburn Magistrates' Court today.
~ Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Mr William Wilson, of Edentrillick Road, Hillsborough, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 22 January 2010, Water Quality Inspectors acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency responded to a pollution incident at a farm at Edentrillick Road, Hillsborough and observed that slurry had escaped from a slurry lagoon and flowed down a road for approximately 550 metres.

Examination of the slurry lagoon revealed that it was in a poor state of repair. The slurry entered a road gully from where it discharged to a waterway. The waterway was badly polluted and had foam in it and the source of the polluting discharge was traced to a farm owned by Mr Wilson.

Samples taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Notes to editors:

1. Mr Wilson was charged under Article 7 (1) (a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 with the offence of making a polluting discharge to a waterway.
2. For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9025 6058 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.