Post by Hoppy on Mar 21, 2007 19:22:16 GMT -1
At Carmarthen Magistrates' Court this week, (19 March), Green Grove Farms Limited, was fined £5,400 after pleading guilty to three pollution charges. The Company had pleaded guilty to three separate incidents of causing slurry to enter two separate unnamed tributaries of the River Taf, at the farm near St Clears, Carmarthenshire. Costs of £1,000 were also ordered to be paid to Environment Agency Wales who brought the prosecution.
The charges:
On three occasions - on or before 23 November 2005, on or before 16 December 2005 and on or before 28 April 2006, causing polluting matter, namely slurry, to enter controlled waters, namely an unnamed tributary of the River Taf , at Green Grove Farm, St. Clears, contrary to Section 85(1) of the Water Resources Act 1991.
The company was fined £1,800 on each charge.
Following the case, Agency Environment Officer David Ellar said:
"We hope this case alerts farmers and contractors to the environmental and financial consequences of poor slurry management. Fortunately, in these instances there was no evidence of fish killed. Nevertheless, farm effluent is extremely polluting to our rivers and can cause significant and extensive damage. All of the incidents could be attributed to mis-management or poor infrastructure at the farm."
"We visited the farm several times over the last few years, providing pollution prevention advice. If this had been followed then some of these incidents may have been prevented. On each occasion the pollution was reported to us by a member of the public, on our incident hotline 0800 80 70 60. We are grateful for that help, which is much appreciated."
The charges:
On three occasions - on or before 23 November 2005, on or before 16 December 2005 and on or before 28 April 2006, causing polluting matter, namely slurry, to enter controlled waters, namely an unnamed tributary of the River Taf , at Green Grove Farm, St. Clears, contrary to Section 85(1) of the Water Resources Act 1991.
The company was fined £1,800 on each charge.
Following the case, Agency Environment Officer David Ellar said:
"We hope this case alerts farmers and contractors to the environmental and financial consequences of poor slurry management. Fortunately, in these instances there was no evidence of fish killed. Nevertheless, farm effluent is extremely polluting to our rivers and can cause significant and extensive damage. All of the incidents could be attributed to mis-management or poor infrastructure at the farm."
"We visited the farm several times over the last few years, providing pollution prevention advice. If this had been followed then some of these incidents may have been prevented. On each occasion the pollution was reported to us by a member of the public, on our incident hotline 0800 80 70 60. We are grateful for that help, which is much appreciated."