Omagh farmer fined £500 for a pollution offence

A Co Tyrone farmer was fined £500 plus £25 court costs at Omagh Magistrates' Court today.

Mr Nigel Kennedy, of Glenhordial Road, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 22 September 2009, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) inspected a waterway at Corran Road, and observed the river bed to be heavily covered in sewage fungus.

The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a farm owned by Mr Kennedy.

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

Notes to editors:

1. 1. Mr Kennedy 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. 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.