BBC investigation reveals Moy Park breaches

Moy Park has damaged environmental legal guidelines in Northern Eire on greater than 500 events with out ever going through prosecution, a BBC Highlight investigation has discovered.

Paperwork filed with the Stormont division answerable for the surroundings present the corporate has breached authorized limits on a whole lot of events throughout three totally different websites.

The agri-food firm, which is valued at over a £1bn, is Northern Eire’s largest private-sector employer.

Moy Park stated all commerce effluent is strictly managed and handled earlier than it’s discharged, with it present process extra remedy by Northern Eire Water earlier than it enters waterways.

Commerce effluent is the title given to the liquid waste produced by factories and companies which generally results in the sewage system.

The discharges have the potential to be extremely polluting and are topic to strict environmental limits set out in commerce effluent consents.

These are overseen by Stormont’s Division for Agriculture, the Atmosphere and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Breach these limits and companies could possibly be committing a criminal offense.

As a part of a wider investigation into air pollution at Lough Neagh, BBC Highlight examined 1000’s of environmental compliance paperwork filed by Moy Park with the regulator since 2017.

The paperwork revealed a whole lot of breaches of the corporate’s commerce effluent consents.

Sampling by Northern Eire Water discovered that Moy Park had breached authorized limits regarding plenty of potential pollution, together with ammonia and hexane extractable supplies together with oils, fat and grease.

Andrew Muir, Northern Eire’s Agriculture and Atmosphere Minister, informed BBC Highlight he was “very involved” after the programme introduced him its findings.

“I’ll be writing to Moy Park searching for a proof when it comes to the state of affairs you outlined. This could’t proceed.”

The environmental regulator, the Northern Eire Atmosphere Company (NIEA), operates inside DAERA.

When requested why the regulator had not prosecuted the breaches beforehand, Mr Muir stated he can be searching for solutions from his officers.

Moy Park informed BBC Highlight, that any breaches of its commerce effluent consent incur a cost payable on to NI Water for additional remedy to make sure the water is protected earlier than any discharge to a waterway.

It added that the algal blooms on Lough Neagh had been a fancy challenge, not particularly linked to anyone sector.

The corporate stated it’s “dedicated to working with all companions consistent with a science-based method to protect the vitality of Lough Neagh”.

Campaigners concern that breaches of commerce effluent consents, sewage spills and agricultural air pollution are combining to gas the expansion of poisonous cyanobacteria at Lough Neagh.

Blooms of the poisonous blue-green algae developed on the lough final summer season, with indicators already displaying it’s returning.

Moy Park, which is owned by American agri-food large Pilgrim’s, has plenty of factories in Northern Eire.

It just lately sponsored the Belfast Marathon and has beforehand marketed at high-profile sporting occasions together with the 2010 World Cup.

The corporate’s websites in Dungannon, Ballymena, and Craigavon sit throughout the catchment space for Lough Neagh and every reported a number of breaches of the commerce effluent consent.

Commerce effluent discharged from these websites sometimes obtain extra remedy at one among Northern Eire Water’s (NIW) remedy crops.

That is meant to make sure that the effluent does no injury to the watercourse it flows into.

Nonetheless, NI Water informed Highlight {that a} portion of the wastewater at its websites is discharged earlier than it may be handled.

On 25,000 events every year, uncooked sewage and untreated commerce effluent spill from its amenities.

NI Water stated “discharges from commerce premises at larger ranges than set inside their consent situations will pose an extra threat to the surroundings throughout the operation of storm overflows”.

It blamed historic under-investment for shortcomings in its community and stated the spills can’t be stopped with out extra sustained funding.

Mr Muir additionally introduced the creation of a brand new workforce with a selected deal with stopping air pollution at Lough Neagh.

“I’m re-prioritising throughout the division in direction of environmental safety and I’m establishing an enforcement workforce across the points related to Lough Neagh.

“We now have over 20 folks devoted to that space and it’s completely vital that we do this,” he stated.

Mr Muir informed Highlight he can be bringing a report on Lough Neagh to the subsequent govt assembly together with an motion plan, which he hopes different ministers will log out on.

Campaigners concern that breaches of commerce effluent consents, sewage spills and agricultural air pollution are combining to gas the expansion of poisonous cyanobacteria at Lough Neagh.

Blooms of the poisonous blue-green algae developed on the lough final summer season, with indicators already displaying it’s returning.

Water air pollution campaigner and Undertones frontman Feargal Sharkey informed Highlight he was horrified by the extent of the issue.

“The easy reality of the matter is – placing all that poo, all that waste, all that animal bi-product right into a waterway like Lough Neagh, you merely add a large meals supply to micro organism that already exists naturally.

“That’s why you have got environmental legal guidelines and that’s why the legislation says that shouldn’t be taking place.”