Co Armagh farmer fined for polluting discharge to a waterway

A Co Armagh farmer was fined £750 plus £28 court costs at Armagh Magistrates’ Court today.

William George Irwin, of Tullygarden Road, Richhill, Co. Armagh, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 11 February 2008, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formally the Environment and Heritage Service) inspected an unnamed tributary of the River Tall and found it to have a heavy fungus growth caused by farm effluent. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a farm owned by Mr Irwin.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious and polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving watercourse.

Notes to Editors:

1. Mr Irwin 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, namely an unnamed tributary of the River Tall.
2. For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.