26/08/2005 - A Somerset
farmer was today ordered to pay £2,431
in fines and costs after effluent leaked into
the River Brue killing more than 100 fish.
The case was brought by the Environment Agency.
The Agency was alerted by a member of the
public on August 18, 2004 who reported that
the river near Wyke Champflower had turned
pale and muddy and had a strong chemical smell.
Environment officers traced the pollution
to Creech Hill Farm. Owner Mervyn Walters
confirmed that it had come from his effluent
lagoon that had been ‘stirred’ the previous
day prior to a sample being taken. The lagoon
contained food waste that is used on the farm
as an organic fertiliser.
Walters claimed a disgruntled ex-employee
had deliberately opened a tap near the lagoon
allowing effluent to escape into a trench
and run down Creech Hill Lane and enter the
River Brue via a drain.
Effluent used to be piped to irrigation equipment
in surrounding fields, but the main pipe from
the lagoon was no longer connected.
Investigating officers noticed that the tap
that used to control the flow of waste to
the farm’s old underground pipe system wasn’t
fitted with a lock and could be accidently
damaged by the movement of farm machinery.
An estimated 2,500 gallons of effluent were
lost during the incident. Dead fish were discovered
up to 8 kilometres downstream of the farm.
The River Brue is popular with fishermen and
several houses back onto the river in the
area affected by the spill.
"Farmers have a responsibility to ensure
suitable safeguards are in place to keep any
risk of pollution to a minimum. This pollution
incident was avoidable. A simple lock on the
tap would have been a sensible precaution,"
said Jonathan Gilling for the Environment
Agency.
Walters, of Creech Hill Farm was fined £1,000
and ordered to pay £1,431 costs by Wells
magistrates after pleading guilty to causing
poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to
be discharged into the River Brue contrary
to the Water Resources Act 1991.
