Dumfriesshire farmer fined for pollution offences
Written by author on November 29, 2012
A Dumfriesshire farmer was today fined £800 at Dumfries Sheriff Court for polluting the local water environment with silage and slurry effluent between July and October last year.
Raymond Cassells, aged 40, of Mouswald Banks Farm, Mouswald, Dumfries had pled guilty on 17 September 2012 to two contraventions of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003.
Mr Cassells produced silage and stored manure at his farm. He failed to control the overflow of effluent (liquid run off) from this, which flowed into his farm yard and entered the surface water drainage system. Due to a blocked drain, the effluent did not reach the Breconrae Burn. Had it done so, it is likely that significant pollution would have occurred.
Environmental regulations restrict all activities that are liable to pollute the water environment and specifically prohibit sewage or trade effluent being discharged into any surface water drainage system.
Craig Harris, Head of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said:
“The neglect shown by Raymond Cassells could have had a horrific effect on the local water. It was simply fortune that a blocked drain prevented a far more severe environmental incident.
“The steps to prevent this offence were straightforward but were not taken and advice from SEPA was ignored. A responsible farmer would not act in such a way.
“Those who offend against our environmental laws will continue to be brought to account”.
