A Northern Irish farmer has been ordered to pay out £10,000 after slurry polluted a river resulting in the death of over 2,600 fish.
Co Londonderry farmer Philip Palmer was convicted on 24 August at Magherafelt Magistrates’ Court for the water pollution offence.
The court heard that in May 2020, a water quality inspector inspected Grange Water at Grange Water Bridge, Desertmartin, and discovered discoloured water and dead fish in the waterway, and a strong smell of slurry.
The inspector travelled upstream to Keenaght Water on the Longfield Road, Desertmartin, and identified the presence of slurry within the waterway which runs through Mr Palmer’s farm.
The inspector observed an active discharge of slurry into the waterway. Mr Palmer deployed a soil dam and a submersible pump to prevent any further discharge to Grange Water.
On return to the farm, the inspector checked the dammed section of the waterway at its confluence with the Keenaught Water, and there was no evidence of the any effluent having circumvented the soil bund. A clean-up company carried out a clean-up operation.
In accordance with procedures, a sample of the active discharge was collected and analysed and found to contain poisonous, noxious, and polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life.
Effluents with high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) remove oxygen from river water and reduce the overall dissolved oxygen level.
Mr Palmer pleaded guilty on 24 August and was fined a total of £5,025, made up of a £1,500 fine and costs of £3,525 to replace the fish killed as a result of this incident.
Northern Ireland's Inland Fisheries investigated the incident as a major fish kill, which resulted in the death of 2,632 fish, made up of 2,525 trout and 107 salmon.
