Cookstown farmer fined £1,000 over river pollution

Mr William Jeffers, of Grange Road, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 17 April 2013, Water Quality Inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, inspected a farmyard adjacent to 71 Grange Road, Cookstown and observed a heap of farmyard manure.

Farmyard manure effluent was observed flowing from the yard, entering a road gully which subsequently entered an unnamed tributary of the Ballinderry Catchment. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a farm owned by Mr Jeffers.

On 11 June 2013, Water Quality Inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, inspected a farmyard adjacent to 71 Grange Road, Cookstown and observed a chamber overflowing to the rear of some sheds. Effluent was observed flowing from the yard, entering a road gully which subsequently entered an unnamed tributary of the Ballinderry Catchment.

Samples taken at the time of the incidents confirmed that the discharges contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Water Pollution Hotline 0800 80 70 60.