Northern Ireland

Co Derry firm fined over river pollution causing fish kill

J&A Renewables was fined £1,600 over pollution that caused a fish kill in Co Derry
J&A Renewables was fined £1,600 over pollution that caused a fish kill in Co Derry J&A Renewables was fined £1,600 over pollution that caused a fish kill in Co Derry

A FIRM was fined £1,600 and ordered to pay compensation yesterday over pollution that caused a fish kill in Co Derry.

J&A Renewables was also fined at Magherafelt Magistrates Court for operating an anaerobic digestion plant without a valid waste management authorisation licence.

The pollution was discovered in November 2016 in Altagoan River, a tributary of the Moyola, downstream of Gortnaskea Road, Draperstown.

Water quality inspectors found it green in colour and spotted slurry discharging into the river from a pipe to the rear of the anaerobic digester site.

Dead brown trout were also discovered.

A search of departmental records later confirmed there was no authorisation or application for an anaerobic digestion plant to operate at the site.

J&A Renewables was fined £750 for making a polluting discharge to a waterway, £850 for having no valid waste management licence, and ordered to pay £1,845 compensation for the fish kill.