Water abstraction lie costs farm business £5,500
A farming business in Suffolk has been fined after it was found to have lied about how much water it had abstracted.
N&M Sizer lied about its abstraction volumes, fearing it would lose its licence or have its abstraction limits reduced. The company overreported the volume abstracted, with figures in excess of the limits set by the licence. Water meters had been recalibrated to conform to the false figures submitted to the Environment Agency.
An investigation by the Environment Agency identified that the company had actually taken significantly less water than it was authorised to do so. Despite the company’s fears, the Environment Agency told the court that any reduction in future abstraction limits or any revocation of the licence would only be undertaken with regard to around 10 years of records and in discussion with the licence holder.
Reassessment of the licence was only projected to be carried out when the licence was coming up for renewal (this was due in 31 March 2027 for N&M Sizer) or where evidence was identified the abstraction was causing environmental damage.
Penalty
N&M sizer was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £2,531 in costs.
Breach
N&M Sizer pleaded guilty to breaching Section 206(1) and (5) of the Water Resources Act 1991:
- Section 206(1) makes it an offence to make statements which are known to be false or misleading.
- Section 206(5) makes persons guilty of offences under Section 206 liable to a fine on summary conviction or fine and/or imprisonment on conviction on indictment.
Company and director sentenced after pollution incidents
A waste management company based near Darlington has been fined following releases of blood and other abattoir waste into a stream.
The court heard that AWSM Recycling was responsible for a number of breaches of environmental law in incidents between July 2011 and October 2015.
In three pollution incidents, fugitive releases of blood and abattoir waste affected surface water courses near the site.
The company was also found to have failed to notify the Environment Agency regarding the release in May 2015.
Further charges concerned the unauthorised burning of waste and land spreading of hazardous waste, which was not authorised by the organisation’s permit.
In an earlier court case in March 2017, the company had pleaded guilty to breaching the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations in relation to land spreading with nitrogen-rich digestate during the closed period, which resulted in ammonia being found in a local stream.
Penalty
AWSM Recycling was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £12,000 in court costs.
The company’s sole director Adam Metcalfe was fined £1,000.
Tesco hit with major £8million fine for pollution incident
Tesco has been fined following a major leak from a petrol station in July 2014, which had significant impacts on the local community and environment, resulting in the evacuation of a number of local residents.
The court heard that the release occurred as a result of the company failing to address a known issue with the fuel delivery system at its site in Haslingden and weaknesses in the alarm system and emergency procedures in place.
Approximately 23,500 litres of petrol were lost from a filling tank. The petrol entered the sewerage system, leading to odours affecting residents up to 1km away. A proportion of the petrol entered the Langwood Brook and River Irwell, resulting in fish kills. 7,000 litres of petrol was recovered at the site, with the majority lost.
Penalty
Tesco Stores Ltd was fined £8 million, with £3 million concerning environmental offences while £5 million concerned the associated health and safety breaches. Costs of £35,434.30 and approximately £22,000 were awarded to the Environment Agency and Lancashire County Council respectively.
Breach
Tesco Stores Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching of Regulation 12(1)(b) and 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010:
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