He had previously been convicted on two charges of breaching waste legislation. He was also fined a total of £10,000.
Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) officers investigated Mr Johnston’s farm at Killadeas on 8 October 2004, bringing an excavator on site under warrant. An estimated 1,900 tonnes of municipal-type waste was found buried under pasture to the rear of Mr Johnston’s farmyard. All addressed items of waste noted by EHS officers were attributable to premises in Cork, Dublin and Wexford.
Mr Johnston contested two charges brought under The Waste & Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. The court was told by the defence that waste paper was brought on to Mr Johnston’s farm to provide bedding for livestock quarantined as the result of a brucellosis outbreak. Mr Johnston was convicted of both charges on 23 November 2007.
Notes to Editors:
The controlled waste found on Mr Johnston’s Killadeas farm consisted of a mixture of biodegradable wastes, including food packaging, plastics, papers & low-grade medical waste. Mr Johnston was found guilty of the following offences:
- One charge of Article 4(1)(b) of The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. The charge related to the treatment, keeping or disposal of controlled waste or knowingly causing or knowingly permitting controlled waste to be treated, kept or disposed of in or on any land, except under and in accordance with a waste management licence.
- One charge of Article 4(1)(c) of The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. The charge related to the treatment, keeping or disposal of controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health.
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