A FARMER from Co Meath was fined £500 with £601.95 expenses by Judge John Brophy at Dunshaughlin Court yesterday for allowing silage effluent to enter a river.
Mr Luc Hemeryck, Jamestown, Ratoath, apologised for causing pollution to the Broadmeadow river on July 4th last, but the court was told he had not carried out the remedial work recommended by Teagasc despite two adjournments of the case.
Mr Sean Breslin, an official of Meath County Council, said Hemeryck had excavated an unlined lagoon beside the silage pits.
However, he added he was worried by the potential for further pollution as the pits were only 40 metres from the river and an inspection on Monday showed a large area of land around the pits saturated with silage effluent.