North-South gas pipeline construction company fined £15,000 for pollution

SICIM Roadbridge Ltd of Tougher Business Park, Naas, Co.Kildare was fined £15,000 at Newry Magistrates' Court today, following a pollution incident during the construction of the North-South gas pipeline in June 2006.

An Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) officer found that the Forkhill River in Co. Armagh, was badly polluted. This was traced to three large industrial pumps discharging large volumes of heavily silted effluent directly into a tributary of the river. The effluent was being pumped from a section of the North-South gas pipeline, which was being constructed by SICIM Roadbridge Ltd.

Analysis confirmed that the river was badly polluted, containing silt at a level which would have been harmful to fish.

SICIM Roadbridge Ltd pleaded guilty to the offence. The magistrate, Mr Copeland, said that the company appeared to have put the interests of commerce before environmental interests. He imposed a fine of £15,000, plus court costs of £91 plus analysis costs of £120.30.

Notes to Editors:

SICIM Roadbridge Ltd was prosecuted under Article 7 of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.

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