Castledawson farmer fined for pollution

A Castledawson farmer was found guilty and fined £300, plus £19 court costs and an offenders levy of £15 at Magherafelt Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

By The Newsroom

Published 23rd Apr 2015, 13:50 BST

Mr Adrian Cudden from Magherafelt Road, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 19 November 2013, Water Quality Inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency inspected a waterway at Magherafelt Road, Castledawson and observed heavy fungal growth in the waterway and detected a strong odour of silage effluent. The polluting discharge was traced to farm premises owned by Mr Cudden. The length of waterway impacted by the discharge was approximately 2.5 kilometres.

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.

To report pollution call the 24 hour Water Pollution Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.