A Milton Keynes farmer who repeatedly polluted a stream in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) has been ordered to pay £8,760.
The farmer allowed stinking farm waste to contaminate a tributary of the River Great Ouse in Salcey Forest, a cherished conservation area visited by 250,000 walkers, cyclists, horse riders and tourists ever year.
Northampton Magistrates' Court heard that the farmer was negligent and breached environmental regulations. That in April of last year, two lagoons on the farm filled up with farmyard runoff, including raw cattle waste, before spilling over into connected drainage ditches which flowed into the stream.
Numerous reports to the Environment Agency said the stream was grey, covered in scummy foam and reeked of sewage. Sampling by an Environment Agency officer found levels of ammonia 10 times higher than upstream, which was enough to be extremely toxic to fish, invertebrates and other aquatic life.
Two weeks later, officers returned to find the effects of the pollution were still ongoing, and dense outbreaks of fungus and midge larvae indicated the contamination had been ongoing for an extended period of time. The impact was so severe that the Forestry Commission erected signs warning the public to keep their dogs out of the water, and a wildlife ranger reported seeing no wildlife in the water since the pollution was spotted.
The Court head how the farm lagoons had been constructed whilst the farmer was in charge of the site, and this process damaged existing site drainage. This damage meant once the lagoons reached a certain level, they would spill effluent via land drains into drainage ditches and then into the stream.
The farmer, who has been farming since he was 15 and using this site for three years, admitted he was aware of the risk, but thought he could manage the runoff, which he was unable to do. He also sought to blame a neighbouring farm for the pollution, though investigations had already proved his own farm was the source.
This was the third time in just over six months the farmer faced enforcement action for polluting the same stream with farm waste. Despite advice and formal warning from the Environment Agency, his poor attempts to fix the situation did not stop it from happening again.
Jack Taylor, investigating officer at the Environment Agency said it is "our job as a regulator to protect people, wildlife and our precious environment, and of course everyone has a responsibility to do their bit".
"We hope the outcome of this case serves as a warning to those who ignore their environmental responsibilities – we won’t hesitate to take action against them".
The farmer pleaded guilty to breaching the Environmental Permitting Regulations SI 2016/1154 by allowing farm waste to discharge into a watercourse. He was ordered to pay a fine of £1,600, £7,000 in costs, and a £160 victim surcharge.
