The charges, relating to breaches of waste management legislation, were made at Londonderry Magistrate’s Court on 30 July 2008.
The Foyle Food Group Ltd Lisahally, Campsie, pleaded guilty on failing to keep proper records (waste transfer notes) in relation to the transfer of controlled waste and was fined £2,000 plus £99 court costs.
Haulage contractor Ronald Baxter, 58 of Droit Road, Newtownstewart, pleaded guilty on one count of depositing controlled waste on land without there being in force a waste management licence and was fined £4,000 plus £99 court costs.
Farmer James (Jim) Feeney, 54 of Nicholas Park, Greysteel, pleaded guilty on one count of allowing controlled waste to be deposited on his land without there being in force a waste management license and was fined £4,000 plus £99 court costs.
On 24 May 2008 officers of the Environment and Heritage Service (now Northern Ireland Environment Agency) visited a site on the Highmoor Road, Eglinton, Londonderry in response to complaints of unauthorised waste disposal. Upon entering the site, officers observed a large mound of rotting paunch (the partly-digested contents of animal stomachs). Also found within the deposit were ear tag numbers, plastic intestinal clips and rubber gloves. The material was foul smelling and leachate was being produced.
Enquiries revealed that Ronald Baxter had transported the paunch from the premises of Foyle Meats at Lisahally and had deposited the waste on land owned by James Feeney. The court heard that the proper method of dealing with this type of controlled waste was to compost it or dump it in a properly licensed landfill site.
Notes to Editors:
The charges related to breaches of the following Articles of the Waste & Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997:
4(1)(a): deposit controlled waste, or knowingly cause or knowingly permit controlled waste to be deposited in or on any land unless a waste management licenceauthorising the deposit is in force and the deposit is in accordance with the licence;
5(1)(c): any person who imports, produces, carries, keeps, treats or disposes of controlled waste shall take all such measures applicable to him in that capacity as are reasonable in the circumstances- on the transfer of the waste, to secure that there is transferred such a written description of the waste as will enable other persons to avoid a contravention of that Article and to comply with this paragraph as respects the escape of waste.
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