Newry farmer fined £3,000 for pollution offence

A Co Down farmer was fined £3,000 plus £31 court costs at Newry Magistrates’ Court on Monday 16 November 2009.

Mr David Buchanan, of Armagh Road, Newry, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 23 January 2008, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) observed a waterway at Buchanan’s Road, Tullyhappy, Newry, and found it to be brown in colour due to a discharge of slurry entering it.

The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a field leased to Mr Buchanan.

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 Buchanan 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. All media enquiries should be directed to the DOE Press Office on 028 9054 0003. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.