Council fined for pollution from Clonbur sewage works
Galway County Council was convicted and fined in Clifden District Court this week, in a water pollution case brought by the Western Regional Fisheries Board. The case arose from monitoring by the fisheries board, which detected pollution from discharges from the Clonbur sewage treatment works. The discharges caused pollution to watercourses flowing into the Clonbur River and Lough Mask on the 8th August, 2008.
Judge Mary Fahy convicted and fined Galway County Council €500 for breaches of the Fisheries Acts, with monitoring costs of €650 and the Fisheries Board’s legal costs of €627 also awarded.
The Court was told that over a number of years the effluent from the treatment plant in Clonbur had been a major problem. However in February of this year, the Co. Council commenced work on the construction of a new sewage treatment plant at Clonbur, and this plant which has a capacity of 710 population equivalent is now operational.
Speaking after the case, WRFB Chief Executive Officer Dr. Greg Forde said that “there had been ongoing problems with the sewage plant in Clonbur over many years which had resulted in the tributary river to Lough Mask having an unacceptable level of pollution. The Board had no alternative but to prosecute the Council in relation to the ongoing persistent problems”. He went on to add that the Board was relieved to see that the new plant was constructed and the Board would be monitoring its performance over the coming months but that the situation was a major improvement on the old plant which had been completely outdated and overcapacity. He also noted that it was vital that other outdated plants in the Region be replaced as soon as possible.
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