13/03/2006 - A farm owner
who kept a ‘lagoon’ of food waste on his
farm against Environment Agency instructions
was today ordered to pay £2,1000 in
fines and costs. The lagoon on land at Hadspen
Hill Farm near Bruton was originally used
to store waste from the food industry with
Environment Agency permission. The waste
was then spread onto land at Hadspen Hill,
provided it did not cause an odour problem
for neighbours.
The Environment Agency received a number
of complaints from residents about a smell
described as a ‘sickly sweet’ and similar
to sour milk. Officers went to the scene
and found a quantity of waste stored in
the lagoon.
The farmer, Mervyn Walters, agreed to empty
the lagoon of waste and spread it on the
land that autumn. The liquid was removed,
but a sludge residue was left behind.
In August 2004 the defendant agreed to
completely empty the lagoon of waste. This
proved to be slow and sporadic and the Environment
Agency subsequently agreed with Mr Walters
that he would completely empty all the waste
from the lagoon by July 29, 2005.
This deadline was missed and further complaints
were received. The lagoon was eventually
emptied of all wastes by August 8, 2005
and the residue removed from the liner by
August 23, 2005.
Mervyn Walters, of Creech Hill Farm, Bruton,
Somerset was today fined £1000 and
ordered to pay £2,000 costs by Yeovil
magistrates after pleading guilty to keeping
controlled waste, namely liquid and sludge
wastes from the food industry, on land at
Hadspen Hill Farm in a manner likely to
cause pollution of the environment - an
offence under the Environmental Protection
Act 11000.
Magistrates said the smell must have been
‘pretty ghastly’ judging by the complaints
from local residents.
‘The Agency tried to resolve this matter
with Mr Walters through agreement but he
failed to take the necessary action. Dealing
with waste of this nature needs to be done
with care and consideration for neighbours,’
said Susan Everett for the Environment Agency.
