A food company which admitted responsibility for a chlorine discharge which killed an estimated 5,000 salmon, sea trout and brown trout was yesterday fined £250 and ordered to pay more than £3,000 costs and expenses.
Freshfield Foods Ltd, a subsidiary of Universal Foods Group of Avoncore, Midleton, Co Cork, pleaded guilty at a special sitting of Midleton District Court to causing deleterious matter to fall into the Owenacurra River in Midleton on July 7th, 1998.
A South-Western Regional Fisheries Board senior environmental officer, Ms Patricia O'Connor, said she investigated the fish kill and found dead fish up to a weir at Broomfield West used by Fresh field Foods to extract water. "Inside the pumphouse, it appeared that there was a spillage of a soapy liquid and it had flowed through the wall and into the river," said Ms O'Connor.
Counsel for Freshfield Foods, Mr David Holland, said the spillage resulted from a non-routine maintenance exercise caused by difficulties with a chlorine pump.
The spillage was unintentional and accidental and the company was not aware of it until contacted by Ms O'Connor.
The company had stopped the discharge pipe and introduced a new system, he said.
Mr Holland said the company had agreed costs and expenses with the Fisheries Board of £3,072. Pointing out that the maximum fine was £1,000, he asked Judge Terence Finn to show leniency as it was a first offence.
Judge Finn noted that Freshfield Foods appeared to have remedied the problem. He fined the company £250 and approved costs of £3,072.