Omagh company fined £5,000 for pollution offences

A Co Tyrone Company was today fined a total of £5,000 plus £76 court costs and analysis costs of £414.07at Armagh Magistrates’ Court.

McAnenly Quarries Ltd, Spring Road, Drumnakilly, Omagh, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway, namely an unnamed tributary of Drumnakilly Burn.

On 4 February 2005, following a complaint of pollution, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) found a large volume of dirty brown water mixed with stones and gravel running down the road into the adjacent waterway.

On 15 March 2005, following a further complaint a Water Quality Inspector found large amounts of contaminated water running down the road into the waterway.

On both occasions the source of the polluting discharge was traced to a quarry at Spring Road, Drumnakilly, Co Tyrone owned by McAnenly Quarries Ltd.

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

Notes to editors

1. McAnenly Quarries Ltd was charged under Article 7 (1) (a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 with two offences of making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

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