12 February 2002
COOKSTOWN FIRM FINED FOLLOWING FISH KILL
Regional Development Minister, Peter Robinson, MP, MLA, today welcomed the successful prosecution of Central Laundries Limited, Cookstown, for the unauthorised discharge of trade effluent into a wastewater treatment works resulting in a major fish kill on the Killymoon River.
Central Laundries Limited was fined £2,000, as well as analytical costs of over £2,000, at East Tyrone Magistrates Court yesterday after being found guilty of breaching its trade effluent discharge consent.
The discharge caused a significant deterioration in the quality of the effluent from Sandholes Wastewater Treatment Works leading to pollution of the Killymoon and Ballinderry Rivers. The pollution resulted in an extensive fish kill and caused considerable damage to the ecosystems of the rivers.
The Minister said: "I welcome the outcome of this case, in particular the imposition by the court of the maximum fine which should serve as a warning to other companies that offences like this will not be tolerated.
"This shows the Department’s commitment to prosecutions where dischargers breach their consent conditions and thereby cause damage not only to wastewater treatment works but also to the environment."
DRD Water Service had to carry out an emergency tankering operation following the discovery of an unauthorised discharge into the Killymoon River at Sandholes, Cookstown on 24 July 2001.
For further information contact Clare Baxter at the DRD Press Office on 028 9054 0068 or 07810 440265.
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