PRESS STATEMENT – PRESS STATEMENT – PRESS STATEMENT

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SDLP MLA BURNS: PUNISH RIVER POLLUTERS MORE SEVERELY

SDLP South Antrim MLA Thomas Burns has urged Minister of the Environment Sammy Wilson to do more to punish offenders after it emerged that the Glenavy River has been polluted 76 times in the last ten years. 

Figures released by the Department of the Environment show that between 1997 and 2007 nine warning letters were issued by the NI Environment Agency and only eleven of the cases were prosecuted. Fines for the successful prosecutions ranged from £100 to £3,600.

Mr Burns said: “I was very disappointed to learn that only 11 cases of the 76 were taken to court. Likewise, I personally regard these fines, as low as £100 in some instances, to be quite paltry. 3 of the incidents were of the highest severity, yet the highest fine imposed by the courts was only a few thousand pounds.

“Similarly, I am somewhat doubtful that ‘warning letters’ represent effective punishment against polluters or act as any form of deterrent against repeat offenders.

“The new regime at the NIEA needs to get a grip of the situation and pursue offenders with more vigour. While I respect the independence of the judiciary, offenders need to be hit hard with fines and other sanctions. If the current laws do not allow for this then the law must be changed.”

The figures also show that the Water Service / NI Water caused 15 of the incidents, 21 pollution episodes were agricultural in nature, 26 were caused by other industrial mishaps, 12 were from a domestic source and 2 incidents were classified as ‘other’.

He commented: “The fact that the Water Service / NI Water were responsible for a high number of incidents is disturbing. It is quite ironic that a key agency responsible for our water is one of the most frequent polluters of the Glenavy river.”

ENDS