Bushmills farmer given conditional discharge for pollution offence

A BUSHMILLS farmer pleaded guilty and was given a conditional discharge for two years at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court last week and court costs of £28 were imposed.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th May 2013, 10:33 BST

John Fleming, of Moycraig Road, Bushmills was convicted on May 3rd for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 3 March 2012, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, inspected an unnamed tributary of the River Bush flowing beneath the Haw Road, Bushmills and observed it to be white / grey in colour and there was an odour of pig slurry.

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Further investigation revealed that a white / grey liquid was flowing down a lane off the Castlenagree Road and onwards down the Castlenagree Road before entering a road gully. The length of waterway affected by the discharge was approximately two kilometres. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to the farm of Mr John Fleming.

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.

Related topics:Bushmills