A Co Tyrone farmer has been convicted of a water pollution offence at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court today (Monday)/
Harry Brown (62), Lurganeden Road, Pomeroy, pleaded guilty and was fined £1,500 plus £15 Offenders Levy.
The Court heard that NIEA Water Quality Inspectors responded to a water pollution incident that had occurred sometime between 12 and 13 June 2024.
The NIEA Inspectors discovered that dark grey coloured agricultural effluent was flowing along a ditch, alongside the Pomeroy Road, before discharging to the Claggan River (a tributary of the Ballinderry River which flows into Lough Neagh).
The Inspectors traced the flow of effluent to farm premises at Lurganeden Road. On the farm, Mr Brown explained that he had been cleaning out one of the poultry houses.
A nearby wooded area was inspected and dark grey coloured agricultural effluent was observed to be actively flowing through that area, and then entering land drainage pipes, before discharge to the waterway.
As part of the investigation, a statutory sample of the discharge was collected and analysed. The sample results indicated that the sample contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in a receiving waterway.
Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the 24-hour NIEA Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
