A Somerset farmer has been ordered to pay £4,390 in fines and costs for failing to install anti-pollution measures at two chicken farms.

The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

John Riddell was required to install wash water tanks at the Eggwood Poultry Unit, Merriott, Somerset and Park Farm Poultry Unit, Holnest near Sherborne. The improvements were necessary under Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2007 and needed to be completed by the end of February 2008.

Failure to carry out the necessary works would result in an operator being in breach of their environmental permit. A permit is required for intensive poultry units of 40,000 or more birds. The Eggwood Unit has a capacity for up to 80,000 birds.

Dirty water from the Eggwood site, containing chicken litter and disinfectant, was allowed to drain away to land in three areas of the farm. This method of disposal risks pollution of groundwater and is not allowed under the Permitting Regulations.

At Park Farm, polluted run-off water flowed from a yard into a nearby field. It also flowed to ground and into anearby ditch from a second yard.

On December 10, 2008 an Agency officer visited the Eggwood unit and noticed work on the wash water tanks still hadn’t started. John Riddell continued to ignore the Agency’s advice despite repeated reminders and visits to both units. His failure to comply with the permit conditions culminated in the issuing of warning letters and finally, Enforcement Notices for the two sites.

‘Operators of intensive poultry unit must fully comply with the conditions of their permits to safeguard human health and the environment. On this occasion, the defendant resisted all attempts to persuade him to install anti-pollution measures at two separate units leaving us with no alternative other than to prosecute,’ said Paula Sage for the Environment Agency.

Appearing before Yeovil magistrates, John Riddell, of Eggwood House, Eggwood, Merriott, Somerset, was fined £3,000 for failing to comply with two Enforcement Notices, an offence under the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2007 and the Pollution Prevention & Control Act 1999. He was also ordered to pay £1,375 costs and a £15.00 victim surcharge.The case was heard on November 18, 2011.