Coagh farmer fined for pollution

A Coagh farmer pleaded guilty and was fined £1,000, plus a £15 Offenders Levy at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Nov 2014, 09:35 BST

Mr Brian Harkness, Battery Road, Coagh, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 7 February 2014, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) inspected a waterway near Coagh, and found grey fungus in the bed of the waterway.

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The source of this was traced to farm premises owned by Mr Harkness, where slurry was found to be escaping from a shed and making its way to 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.