Lisburn company fined £4,000 for pollution offence

A Co Antrim Company was today fined £4,000 plus £28 court costs at Newtownards Magistrates’ Court.

W J Law & Co. LLP, of Moira Road, Lisburn, Co Antrim was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 28 February 2008, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA, formerly the Environment and Heritage Service), observed a waterway to be badly polluted with an extensive growth of sewage fungus extending for some 200 metres. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a sewage pumping station owned by W J Law & Co LLP.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious and polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving watercourse.

Notes to editors:

1. W J Law & Co LLP 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.
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