A Co Londonderry quarry owner was fined at Limavady Magistrates' Court today for pollution offences.
Mr Patrick Heaney of Banagher Road, Dungiven, pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined £300 plus £97 court costs plus analysis costs of £115.30.
The court heard that on 31January 2008, an officer from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) found a large volume of polluted runoff entering a stream flowing through Banagher Nature Reserve, near Dungiven.
The source of the polluted runoff was traced to a nearby sand and gravel pit operated by Mr Heaney.
Samples of the runoff were collected which, when later analysed, confirmed that it was heavily contaminated with silt at a level which would have had a serious detrimental effect on the waterway and on any fish life.
Notes To Editors:
- Mr Patrick Heaney was charged under Article 7(1) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 with causing water pollution.
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