A farmer from Co. Derry has been fined a total of £5,025.34 for a water pollution offence.
Philip Palmer was convicted today (Wednesday, August 24) at Magherafelt Magistrates’ Court. The 53-year-old farmer pleaded guilty.
The charge brought against the Derry man related to an incident in 2020; the court heard that a Water Quality Inspector (WQI), acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), inspected the Grange Water at Grange Water Bridge, Desertmartin, and discovered green/brown discoloured water, dead and distressed fish in the waterway, and a strong smell of slurry in May of that year.
The inspector travelled upstream to the Keenaght Water on the Longfield Road and identified the presence of slurry within the waterway, which runs through Palmer’s farm to the Keenaught Water. The inspector observed an active discharge of slurry into the waterway.
Palmer deployed a soil dam and a submersible pump to prevent any further discharge to Grange Water. However, when the inspector returned to the farm later that month and checked the dammed section of the waterway where it meets with Keenaught Water, there was no evidence of the any effluent having avoided the soil bund.
A clean-up company was appointed to carried out a clean-up operation.
Aftermath
In accordance with procedures, a tripartite statutory sample of the active discharge was collected and analysed. It was found to contain poisonous, noxious, and polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.
After the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Inland Fisheries investigated the incident, it concluded that 2632 fish, made up of 2525 trout and 107 salmon, had died.
Of Palmer’s fine, £3,525.34 is to replace the fish killed.
