SHEEP DIPPERS HELP TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

30/08/2005 - Sheep dipping will come under the spotlight in Northumberland this week when contractors find out more about how their work can affect the environment.
Workers offering a mobile sheep dipping service in the county will gather in Wall, near Hexham on Thursday, September 1 for a seminar on best environmental practice and their legal responsibilities.

The seminar is the first to be held by the Environment Agency on the issue in the North East, and officers have written to contractors in the area to invite them to the day.

The event coincides with the beginning of the sheep dipping season. Thousands of sheep are dipped every year in Northumberland and Durham to prevent diseases such as Sheep Scab. The chemicals used are highly toxic and can have a devastating effect on wildlife and water quality if it gets into rivers and streams. The quality of the groundwater is also at risk.

Jackie Hamer, the Environment Agency’s senior officer for agriculture said: "The seminar is an opportunity for contractors to find out more about environmental risk and the facts about their legal liability.

"Farmers often bring in contractors to help them with the sheep dipping and there can be confusion about who is ultimately responsible for protecting the environment. We have many good quality rivers in this region and we want to maintain this high standard."