Farmer Fined For Pollution Offence

A farmer from County Fermangh has been fined £250 for a pollution offence at Enniskillen Magistrates Court.

Patrick Joseph Higgins from Springfield was also ordered to pay an offenders levy of £15.

On 3 June 2014, Water Quality Inspectors (WQIs), acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), responded to a pollution incident affecting a waterway at Springfield, Co Fermanagh. The WQIs observed that the stream was discoloured and there was a smell of agricultural effluent. On investigation a pipe was found to be discharging silage effluent into the waterway. A statutory sample of the effluent was collected and sent for analysis. The source of the pollution was traced to a farm at 22 Ballygonnell Road, Crawfords Hill, Springfield, Co Fermagh that was owned by Mr PJ Higgins. The length of waterway impacted by the discharge was greater than 2km.


A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter.

(CD/MH)