Co Tyrone farmer fined for polluting discharge to a waterway

A Co Tyrone farmer was fined £1,000 plus £10 court costs at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Gordon Forbes, of Melmount Road, Sion Mills, Strabane, Co. Tyrone, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 14 March 2007, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) observed a waterway adjacent to St Teresa’s Church, Main Street, Sion Mills to be discoloured and smelling strongly of farm effluent. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a farm owned Mr. Forbes.

On 22 March 2007, following a further complaint of pollution, a Water Quality Inspector returned to the farm and observed a polluting discharge escaping from a bank into a channel at the rear of the pig unit.

Samples taken at the time of the incidents confirmed that the discharges contained poisonous, noxious and polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving watercourse.

Notes to editors:

1. Mr. Forbes 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, namely an unnamed tributary of the Mourne River.
2. For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.