Foyle Food Group pleads guilty to County Tyrone pollution charge

Foyle Food Group

A meat processor has been fined for £6,000 for a pollution offence at a factory in Omagh, County Tyrone.

Foyle Food Group pleaded guilty to exceeding the permitted level of chemicals in matter discharged into the Drumragh River.

The firm, one of the UK's largest beef processors, has two previous pollution convictions at a different NI site.

The judge said courts must give "significant weight" to environmental protection.

He added: "While I was concerned because of the record of two previous pollution offences, they were some time ago and at a different site.

"These are crimes which now attract considerable public attention for good reason."

The court was told that on 3 April 2019, a Northern Ireland Environment Agency water inspector took a sample of the discharge from the river outside the premises on the Doogary Road.

'Historic pipe'

It was shown to breach a number of pollutant levels.

Foyle Food Group pleaded guilty to failing to comply with or contravention of a condition of a Pollution Prevention and Control Permit, which sets limits on matter entering the Drumragh River from the site.

Their lawyer told the court that steps had been taken to give staff environmental training, "which demonstrates the matter is being taken seriously".

"An environmental officer has been appointed whose sole role is to continue to deliver and improve services in this area. There has also been significant investment in environmental infrastructure."

The court also heard that, on the day the discharge was detected, it was discovered that "a historic pipe" ran directly into the river, circumventing the on-site treatment plant.

It was told the pipe was "never raised as an issue before the incident" and was "only investigated when NIEA explained the discharge".