Co Fermanagh farmer fined for pollution offence

A Co. Fermanagh farmer was fined £1,000 plus court costs at Omagh Magistrates’ Court today.

Mr David Wilson, of Drumady, Magheraveely, Co. Fermanagh, was fined for making a polluting discharge to an unnamed tributary of Finn River of Upper Lough Erne in the townland of Lisrace, Magheraveely.

On 25 June 2008, following routine sampling, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA, formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) noticed that the waterway was discoloured (dark green discolouration) and smelled of farmyard effluent.

The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a farm owned by Mr Wilson. The Inspector located a pipe which was found to be discharging dark coloured effluent which was entering the unnamed tributary of the Finn River.

Samples taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious and polluting matter harmful to fish life in the receiving watercourse.

Although there were no fish killed during this incident, the discharge did affect downstream fishing interests.

Notes to editors:

1. Mr Wilson 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.
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