Larne farmer fined for pollution

Samuel Brennan, from Hanna’s Road, was fined £750 and an offender’s levy of £15 imposed for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

A senior water quality inspector acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), inspected a waterway at Ballyboley Road, Larne, on March 21 2016 and observed a heavy growth of sewage fungus together with a cloudy appearance in the waterway.

The source of the polluting discharge was traced to the farm owned by the defendant.

On the farm, the inspector discovered seepage of effluent which appeared to originate at a point adjacent to the rear wall of an earth-banked silo. This effluent was flowing towards and entering the waterway.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the 24 hour Water Pollution Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.