Dungannon man fined for pollution offence

A Co Tyrone man was fined £250 plus £25 court costs at Dungannon Magistrates' Court on 10 November 2008 for a pollution offence

Peter Quinn, trading as Quinfresh, of Ballynakilly Road, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway, namely an unnamed tributary of the Torrent River.

On 13 February 2008, a Senior Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formally the Environment and Heritage Service) observed a discoloured flow entering a waterway at land adjacent to 91 Ballynakilly Road.

The source of the polluting discharge was traced to the premises of Quinfresh owned by Mr Quinn.

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

Notes To Editors:

1. Mr Quinn 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 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.