Farmer fined for river pollution


13 December 2001



Farmer fined for river pollution



By FWi staff


A WELSH farmer must pay 4000, plus 1500 in costs, after he pleaded guilty to two offences of causing polluting matter to enter a local river.


John Llewellyn of Brynfa Farm, Hermon, Pembrokeshire pleaded guilty at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Monday (10 December).


The charges were that he had allowed farm effluent to enter the River Gafel, contrary to Section 85 of the Water Resources Act 1991.


Officials inspected the River Gafel at Glandwr roadbridge. on 8 March, 2001, after a complaint from a the public, the Court was told.


They found the river to be discoloured with a very strong smell of slurry.


Subsequent investigations identified the source of the pollution to be a ditch running from Brynfa Farm.


The source of the pollution was traced to a faulty valve on the irrigation system, which caused slurry to enter a farm ditch and later the River Gafel.


Magistrates heard that, on 6 April, Mr Llewellyn telephoned the agency to report a release of what he described as dirty water from his premises.


Mr Llewellyn indicated that the source was the same irrigation system, and that a leak had occurred due to a seal in a hydrant having failed.

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