November 10th, 2008
At the sitting of the District Court held at Waterford on Friday 12th September 2008, Waterford Hide & Skin Market Ltd having it’s registered offices at Knockhouse, Waterford was prosecuted by the Southern Regional Fisheries Board following investigations by the Board into the quality of wastewater discharges made from the company’s premises at Knockhouse Upper, Gracedieu to the River Suir.
Environmental Officers from the Board gave evidence of having first visited the premises in October 2006 and subsequently issuing a formal written warning to the company to which no response was received. Subsequently, sampling took place, and it was established that discharges from the premises were very significantly in excess of those permitted under the terms of a licence granted to the company by Waterford City Council. Evidence was also given by the Fisheries Board that analysis carried out by the EPA for Waterford City Council over a 2 year period also showed ongoing breach of licence conditions.
On hearing that on 31st August 2007 the Fisheries Board found the BOD of the discharge was 4194 milligrams per litre when the value permitted under licence was 100 milligrams per litre, and similarly the ammonia, chloride and COD levels were 49.6, 48,220 and 9302 milligrams per litre respectively when the permitted values for these contaminants were just 1.0, 5000 and 500 milligrams per litre respectively, and on further hearing evidence of additional sampling carried out by the Board which showed for dates in March and June of 2008 that discharges made breached the terms of the licence by factors of 267, 222 and 985 respectively, Judge William Earley noted that the principal of the company Mr. Michael Quinlan was continuing to poison the environment. He convicted the defendant company, imposed a fine of €1000 and awarded the Southern Regional Fisheries Board costs of €2009.66 and expenses of €1552.06.
Kenny Stephenson Chapman Solicitors representing Waterford Hide & Skin Market Ltd who entered a plea, told the court that the company had been operating for many years without there having been any prosecution. Over €14,000 had been spent in addressing matters, and arrangements were almost finalised for the removal by a fully licensed contractor of effluent off site for discharge in a safe manner.
Ends.